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<vrji 


T.'i 


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LIBRARY 
iTniversity  of  Californip* 
IRVINE 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

IRVINE 

GIFT  OF 


MR.    WARREN   STURTEVANT 


.7^// 


A  DANGEROUS  MOMENT. 

Then  was  a  moment  of  anxiety  impossible  to  describe:  everyone 
was  silent,  and  each  watched  fearfully  the  arch  described  by  the  pro- 
jectile. Nothing  could  be  done  to  escape  it,  and  in  a  few  seconds  it  fell 
with  a  frightful  noise  on  the  foredeck  of  the  Dolphin. 

The  terrified  sailors  crowded  to  the  stern ;  no  one  dared  move  a 
step.     The  fuse  burned  with  a  brisk  crackle. 

But  one  brave  man  alone  among  them  ran  up  to  the  formidable 
weapon  of  destruction.  It  was  Crockston ;  he  took  the  shell  in  his  strong 
arms,  whilst  showers  of  sparks  were  falling  from  it;  then,  with  a  super- 
human effort,  he  threw  it  overboard. 

Hardly  had  the  shell  reached  the  surface  of  the  water  when  it  burst 
with  a  frightful  report.^Page  150. 


Vol.  7. 


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EDITED  BY 


CHARLES  F.  HORNE.  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  English,  College  of  the  City  of  New  York; 
Author  of  "The  Technique  of  the  Novel,"  etc. 


Vincent  Parke  and  Company 
NEW  YORK        ::     ::         London 


Copyright,  1911, 
BY  Vincent  Parke  and  Company. 


CONTENTS 

Voi^uME  Seven 

FAGR 

Introduction           ..... 

1 

A  Floating  City     ..... 

.         .        3 

The  Blockade  Runners. 

.     101 

Round  the  World  in  Eighty  Days 

.     153 

Dr.  Ox's  Experiment      .... 

.     345 

II.I.USTRATIONS 

Voi^uME  Seven 


FAGB 


A  Dangerous  Moment  ....  Frontispiece 
Passepartout  Retrieves  Himself  .  .  .  256 
The  Oxygen  Explosion 362 


vii 


INTRODUCTION  TO  VOLUME  SEVEN 

F  the  four  stories  gathered  in  this  volume  in  the 
order  of  their  publication,  "  Round  the  World 
in  Eighty  Days"  is  the  most  celebrated.  It 
was  issued  in  1872,  not  in  the  usual  form  in 
which  Verne's  books  appeared,  in  Hetzel's 
series  of  "  Voyages  Extraordinaires"'  but  in  "  feuilleton." 
This  French  method  of  publication  in  "feuilleton,"  not 
wholly  unknown  in  our  own  country,  consists  of  publishing 
a  chapter  or  so  each  day  in  some  daily  paper. 

The  universal  interest  which  these  daily  feuilletons  of 
"Round  the  World  in  Eighty  Days"  excited,  was  abso- 
lutely unprecedented.  Both  English  and  American  re- 
porters telegraphed  to  their  papers  each  day,  the  entire  daily 
portion,  which  was  promptly  reproduced.  So  that  for  once 
three  great  nations  were  reading  the  same  story  at  the  same 
time,  bit  by  bit. 

Seldom  has  any  piece  of  fiction  excited  such  a  furor. 
Liberal  offers  were  made  to  the  author  by  various  trans- 
portation companies,  if  he  woidd  advertise  their  routes  by 
having  his  hero  travel  by  them.  And  when  the  final  passage 
of  the  Atlantic  from  America  to  England  was  to  be  accom- 
plished, the  bids  for  notice  by  the  various  transatlantic  lines 
are  said  to  have  reached  fabulous  sums.  Verne,  zvith  a  high 
sense  of  professional  etiquette  and  honesty  to  his  readers, 
refused  all  these  offers. 

As  to  the  central  idea  on  which  the  story  is  based,  the  un- 
conscious gaining  of  a  day  by  circumnavigation  eastward, 
Verne  tells  us  that  the  thought  was  suggested  to  him  while 
reading  in  a  cafe  of  the  new  possibility  of  making  the  circuit 
in  eighty  days.  He  saw  the  difficidty  with  the  meridians, 
and  the  possibilities  of  the  story  flashed  upon  him. 

"A  Floating  City,''  published  in  iSyi,  enjoyed  in  our 
own  country  a  popularity  almost  equal  to  that  of  "  Round 

z 


2  INTRODUCTION 

the  World  in  Eighty  Days."  The  ''Floating  City"'  was 
the  direct  result  of  the  trip  which  the  author  actually  inade 
to  ^America  in  i86/.  He  gives  us  a  faithful  picture  of  the 
natural  and  u^ual  incidents  of  an  ocean  voyage  of  those 
days,  enlivening  these  by  introducing  a  romance  aboard  ship. 
The  pictures  of  the  "  Great  Eastern,'*'  are  of  course  exagger- 
ated, not  so  much  in  words  themselves  as  in  the  impressions 
they  convey.  But  the  pictures  of  New  York  and  of  Niagara 
are  the  genuine  imprint  made  upon  the  great  writer  by  his 
visit  here. 

In  "The  Blockade  Runners"  he  again  adopts  a  theme 
which  is,  at  least  nominally,  American.  In  it  he  gives  a 
very  fair  view  of  the  British  attitude  toward  our  country 
during  that  tragic  period  of  our  suffering  and  trial. 

"Dr.  Ox's  Experiment"  was  one  of  those  prophetic 
scientific  fantasies  which  leaped  so  frequently  into  the  in- 
spired mind  of  Verne.  The  remarkably  vivifying  and  in- 
vigorating effects  of  pure  oxygen,  even  upon  the  dying, 
have  nozv  become  an  established  part  of  medical  science.  In 
i8'/4,  when  "  Doctor  Ox ''  was  published,  the  knowledge  of 
this  gas  was  in  its  infancy.  Verne  tells  us  that  the  story 
was  suggested  by  an  actual  experience  of  his  own  in  Paris, 
in  which  he  realised  the  effects  "  tres  intcressante "  of  the 
potent  gas.  The  story  develops  a  spirit  of  mischievous  ex- 
aggeration and  burlesque  very  different  from  the  author's 
usually  serious  and  thoughtful  attitude  toward  scientific 
marvels. 


A  Floating  City 

CHAPTER   I 

THE   "  GREAT  EASTERN  " 

N  the  1 8th  of  March,  1867,  I  arrived  at  Liver- 
pool, intending  to  take  a  berth  simply  as  an 
amateur  traveler  on  board  the  Great  Eastern, 
which  in  a  few  days  was  to  sail  for  New  York. 
I  had  sometimes  thought  of  paying  a  visit  to 
North  America,  and  was  now  tempted  to  cross 
the  Atlantic  on  board  this  gigantic  boat.  First  of  all  the 
Great  Eastern,  then  the  country  celebrated  by  Cooper, 

This  steamship  is  indeed  a  masterpiece  of  naval  construc- 
tion; more  than  a  vessel,  it  is  a  floating  city,  part  of  the 
country,  detached  from  English  soil,  which  after  having 
crossed  the  sea,  unites  itself  to  the  American  Continent.  I 
pictured  to  myself  this  enormous  bulk  borne  on  the  waves, 
her  defiant  struggle  with  the  wind,  her  boldness  before  the 
powerless  sea,  her  indifference  to  the  billows,  her  stability  in 
the  midst  of  that  element  which  tosses  "  Warriors  "  and 
"  Solferinos  "  like  ship's  boats.  But  my  imagination  carried 
me  no  farther;  all  these  things  I  did  indeed  see  during  the 
passage,  and  many  others  which  do  not  exclusively  belong 
to  the  maritime  domain.  If  the  Great  Eastern  is  not 
merely  a  nautical  engine,  but  rather  a  microcosm,  and 
carries  a  small  world  with  it,  an  observer  will  not  be  aston- 
ished to  meet  here,  as  on  a  larger  theater,  all  the  instincts, 
follies,  and  passions  of  human  nature. 

On  leaving  the  station,  I  went  to  the  Adelphi  Hotel. 
The  Great  Eastern  was  announced  to  sail  on  the  20th  of 
March,  and  as  I  wished  to  witness  the  last  preparations,  I 
asked  permission  of  Captain  Anderson,  the  commander,  to 
take  my  place  on  board  immediately,  which  permission  he 
very  obligingly  granted. 

The  next  day  I  went  down  towards  the  basins  which 
form  a  double  line  of  docks  on  the  banks  of  the  Mersey. 
The  gate-keepers  allowed  me  to  go  onto  Prince's  Landing- 
Stage,  a  kind  of  movable  raft  which  rises  and  falls  with  the 

3 


^  A   FLOATING   CITY 

tide,  and  is  a  landing  place  for  the  numerous  boats  which 
run  between  Liverpool,  and  the  opposite  town  of  Birken- 
head on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mersey. 

The  Mersey,  like  the  Thames,  is  only  an  insignificant 
stream,  unworthy  the  name  of  river,  although  It  empties 
into  the  sea.  It  Is  an  immense  depression  of  the  land  filled 
with  water,  in  fact  nothing  more  than  a  hole,  the  depth  of 
which  allows  it  to  receive  ships  of  the  heaviest  tonnage, 
such  as  the  Great  Eastern,  to  which  almost  every  other 
port  in  the  world  is  closed.  Thanks  to  this  natural  con- 
dition, the  streams  of  the  Thames  and  the  Mersey  have 
seen  two  Immense  commercial  cities,  London  and  Liver- 
pool, built  almost  at  their  mouths,  and  from  a  similar  cause 
has  Glasgow  arisen  on  the  Clyde. 

At  Prince's  Landing-Stage,  a  small  tug  in  the  service  of 
the  Great  Eastern  was  getting  up  steam.  I  went  on  board 
and  found  It  already  crowded  with  workmen  and  mechanics. 
As  the  clock  In  Victoria  Tower  struck  seven,  the  tender 
left  her  moorings  and  quickly  ascended  the  Mersey  with 
the  rising  tide. 

Scarcely  had  we  started,  when  I  saw  on  the  quay  a  tall 
young  man,  with  that  aristocratic  look  which  so  distin- 
guishes the  English  officer.  I  thought  I  recognized  in  him 
a  friend  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  several  years,  a  captain 
in  the  Indian  army;  but  I  must  have  been  mistaken,  for 
Captain  MacElwIn  could  not  have  left  Bombay,  as  I  ought 
to  have  known,  besides  MacElwIn  was  a  gay,  careless  fel- 
low, and  a  jovial  companion,  but  this  person,  if  he  re- 
sembled him  in  feature,  seemed  melancholy,  and  as  though 
burdened  with  a  secret  grief.  I  had  not  time  to  observe 
him  more  closely,  for  the  tender  was  moving  rapidly  away, 
and  the  impression  founded  on  this  resemblance  soon  van- 
ished from  my  mind. 

The  Great  Eastern  was  anchored  about  three  miles 
up  the  river,  at  a  depth  equal  to  the  height  of  the  tallest 
houses  in  Liverpool.  She  was  not  to  be  seen  from  Prince's 
Stage,  but  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  her  imposing  bulk  from 
the  first  bend  In  the  river. 

One  would  have  taken  her  for  a  small  island,  hardly  dis- 
cernible in  the  mist.  She  appeared  with  her  bows  towards 
us,  having  swung  round  with  the  tide ;  but  soon  the  tender  al- 
tered her  course,  and  the  whole  length  of  the  steamship  was 


THE    "GREAT    EASTERN"  5 

presented  to  our  view;  she  seemed  what  in  fact  she  was — 
enormous!  Three  or  four  colHers  alongside  were  pouring 
their  cargoes  of  coal  into  her  port-holes.  Beside  the 
Great  Eastern,  these  three-mast  ships  looked  like  barges; 
their  chimneys  did  not  even  reach  the  first  line  of  light- 
ports  in  her  hull;  the  yards  of  their  gallant-sails  did  not 
come  up  to  her  bulwarks.  The  giant  could  have  hoisted 
these  ships  on  its  davits  like  shore-boats. 

Meanwhile  the  tender  approached  the  Great  Eastern, 
whose  chains  were  violently  strained  by  the  pressure  of  the 
tide,  and  ranged  up  to  the  foot  of  an  immense  winding 
staircase,  on  the  larboard  side.  In  this  position  the  deck 
of  the  tender  was  only  on  a  level  with  the  load  water-line 
of  the  steamship,  to  which  line  she  would  be  depressed 
when  in  full  cargo,  and  which  still  emerged  two  yards. 

The  workmen  were  now  hurriedly  disembarking  and 
clambering  up  the  numerous  steps  w'hich  terminated  at  the 
fore-part  of  the  ship.  I,  with  head  upturned,  and  my  body 
thrown  back  surveyed  the  wheels  of  the  Great  Eastern, 
like  a  tourist  looking  up  a  high  edifice. 

Seen  from  the  side,  these  wheels  looked  narrow  and  con- 
tracted, although  their  paddles  were  four  yards  broad,  but 
in  front  they  had  a  monumental  aspect.  Their  elegant 
fittings,  the  arrangements  of  the  whole  plan,  the  stays  cross- 
ing each  other  to  support  the  division  of  the  triple  center 
rim,  the  radius  of  red  spokes,  the  machinery  half  lost  in 
the  shadow  of  the  wide  paddle-boards,  all  this  impressed 
the  mind,  and  awakened  an  idea  of  some  gigantic  and  mys- 
terious power. 

With  what  force  must  these  wooden  paddles  strike  the 
waves  which  are  now  gently  breaking  over  them!  what  a 
boiling  of  water  when  this  powerful  engine  strikes  it  blow 
after  blow!  what  a  thundering  noise  engulfed  in  this  paddle- 
box  cavern!  when  the  Great  Eastern  goes  at  full  speed, 
under  the  pressure  of  wheels  measuring  fifty-three  feet  in 
diameter  and  166  in  circumference,  weighing  ninety  tons, 
and  making  eleven  revolutions  a  minute.  The  tender  had 
disembarked  her  crew;  I  stepped  onto  the  fluted  iron  steps, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  had  crossed  the  fore-part  of  the 
Great  Eastern. 


CHAPTER  II 

OUR   PREPARATIONS   COMPLETED 

The  deck  was  still  nothing  but  an  immense  timber-yard 
given  up  to  an  army  of  workmen.  I  could  not  believe  I 
was  on  board  a  ship.  Several  thousand  men — workmen, 
crew,  officers,  lookers  on — mingled  and  jostled  together, 
some  on  deck,  others  in  the  engine-room ;  here  pacing  the  up- 
per decks,  there  scattered  in  the  rigging,  all  in  an  indescrib- 
able pell-mell.  Here  fly-wheel  cranes  were  raising  enormous 
pieces  of  cast-iron,  there  heavy  joists  were  hoisted  by  steam- 
windlasses;  above  the  engine-rooms  an  iron  cylinder,  a 
metal  shaft  in  fact,  was  balanced.  At  the  bows,  the  yards 
creaked  as  the  sails  were  hoisted ;  at  the  stern  rose  a  scaffold- 
ing which,  doubtless,  concealed  some  building  in  construc- 
tion. Building,  fixing,  carpentering,  rigging,  and  painting, 
were  going  on  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  disorder. 

My  luggage  was  already  on  board.  I  asked  to  see  Cap- 
tain Anderson,  and  was  told  that  he  had  not  yet  arrived ;  but 
one  of  the  stewards  undertook  to  install  me,  and  had  my 
packages  carried  to  one  of  the  aft-cabins. 

"  My  good  fellow,"  said  I  to  him,  "  The  Great  Eastern 
was  announced  to  sail  on  the  20th  of  March,  but  is  it  pos- 
sible that  we  can  be  ready  in  twenty- four  hours?  Can  you 
tell  me  when  we  may  expect  to  leave  Liverpool?" 

But  in  this  respect  the  steward  knew  no  more  than  I  did, 
and  he  left  me  to  myself.  I  then  made  up  my  mind  to 
visit  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  this  immense  ant-hill,  and  be- 
gan my  walk  like  a  tourist  in  a  foreign  town.  A  black 
mire — that  British  mud  which  is  so  rarely  absent  from  the 
pavements  of  English  towns — covered  the  deck  of  the  steam- 
ship; dirty  gutters  wound  here  and  there.  One  might  have 
thought  oneself  in  the  worst  part  of  Upper  Thames  Street, 
near  London  Bridge.  I  walked  on,  following  the  upper 
decks  towards  the  stern.  Stretching  on  either  side  were 
two  wide  streets,  or  rather  boulevards,  filled  with  a  compact 
crowd;  thus  walking,  I  came  to  the  center  of  the  steam- 
ship between  the  paddles,  united  by  a  double  set  of  bridges. 

Here  opened  the  pit  containing  the  machinery  of  the 
paddle-wheels,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  looking  at  this 
admirable  locomotive  engine.  About  fifty  workmen  were 
scattered  on  the  metallic  skylights,  some  clinging  to  the  long 
suction-pumps  fixing  the  eccentric  wheels,  others  hanging 

6 


OUR  PREPARATIONS  COMPLETED     7 

on  the  cranks  riveting  iron  wedges  witH  enormous  wrenches. 
After  having  cast  a  rapid  glance  over  these  fitting  works, 
I  continued  my  walk  till  I  reached  the  bows,  where  the  car- 
penters were  finishing  the  decoration  of  a  large  saloon  called 
the  "  smoking-room,"  a  magnificent  apartment  with  four- 
teen windows;  the  ceiling  white  and  gold,  and  wainscoted 
with  lemon-colored  panels.  Then,  after  having  crossed  a 
small  triangular  space  at  the  bows,  I  reached  the  stem,  which 
descends  perpendicularly  into  the  water. 

Turning  round  from  this  extreme  point,  I  saw  through 
an  opening  in  the  mists,  the  stern  of  the  Great  Eastern 
at  a  distance  of  over  two  hundred  yards. 

I  returned  by  the  boulevards  on  the  starboard  side,  avoid- 
ing contact  with  the  swaying  pulleys  and  the  ropes  of  the 
rigging,  lashed  in  all  directions  by  the  wind;  now  keeping 
out  of  the  way,  here  of  the  blows  of  a  fly-wheel  crane,  and 
further  on,  of  the  flaming  scoria  which  were  showering 
from  a  forge  like  a  display  of  fireworks.  I  could  hardly 
see  the  tops  of  the  masts,  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  which 
lost  themselves  in  the  mist,  increased  by  the  black  smoke 
from  the  tenders  and  colliers. 

After  having  passed  the  great  hatchway  of  the  engine- 
rooms,  I  observed  a  "  small  hotel "  on  my  left,  and  then 
the  spacious  side  walls  of  a  palace  surmounted  by  a  terrace, 
the  railings  of  which  were  being  varnished.  At  last  I 
reached  the  stern  of  the  steamship,  and  the  place  I  had 
already  noticed  where  the  scaffolding  was  erected.  Here 
between  the  last  small  deck  cabin  and  the  enormous  grat- 
ings of  the  hatchways,  above  whidh  rose  the  four  wheels 
of  the  rudder,  some  engineers  had  just  finished  placing  a 
steam-engine.  The  engine  was  composed  of  two  horizon- 
tal cylinders,  and  presented  a  system  of  pinions,  levers,  and 
blocks  which  seemed  to  me  very  complicated.  I  did  not 
understand  at  first  for  what  it  was  intended,  but  it  appeared 
that  here,  as  everywhere  else,  the  preparations  were  far 
from  complete. 

And  now,  why  all  these  delays?  Why  so  many  new 
arrangements  on  board  the  Great  Eastern,  a  compara- 
tively new  ship?     The  reason  may  be  briefly  explained. 

After  twenty  passages  from  England  to  America,  one  of 
which  was  marked  by  very  serious  disasters,  the  use  of  the 
Great    Eastern    was    temporarily    abandoned,    and    this 


8  A   FLOATING   CITY 

immense  ship,  arranged  to  accommodate  passengers,  seemed 
no  longer  good  for  anything.  When  the  first  attempt  to 
lay  the  Atlantic  cable  had  failed, — partly  because  the  num- 
ber of  ships  which  carried  it  was  insufficient — engineers 
thought  of  the  Great  Eastern.  She  alone  could  store  on 
board  the  2,100  miles  of  metallic  wire,  weighing  4,500  tons. 
She  alone,  thanks  to  her  perfect  indifference  to  the  sea, 
could  unroll  and  immerse  this  immense  cable.  But  special 
arrangements  were  necessary  for  storing  away  the  cable 
in  the  ship's  hold.  Two  out  of  six  boilers  were  removed, 
and  one  chimney  out  of  three  belonging  to  the  screw  en- 
gine; in  their  places  large  tanks  were  placed  for  the  cable, 
iwhich  was  immersed  in  water  to  preserve  it  from  the  effects 
of  variation  of  the  atmosphere;  the  wire  thus  passed  from 
these  tanks  of  water  into  the  sea  without  suffering  the  least 
contact  with  the  air. 

The  laying  of  the  cable  having  been  successfully  accom- 
plished, and  the  object  in  view  attained,  the  Great  Eastern 
iwas  once  more  left  in  her  costly  idleness.  A  French 
company,  called  the  "  Great  Eastern  Company,  Limited," 
was  floated  with  a  capital  of  2,000,000  francs,  with  the  in- 
tention of  employing  the  immense  ship  for  the  conveyance 
of  passengers  across  the  Atlantic.  Thus  the  reason  for 
rearranging  the  ship  to  this  purpose,  and  the  consequent 
necessity  of  filling  up  the  tanks  and  replacing  the  boilers, 
of  enlarging  the  saloons  in  which  so  many  people  were  to 
live  during  the  voyage,  and  of  building  extra  dining  saloons, 
finally  the  arrangement  of  a  thousand  berths  in  the  sides  of 
the  gigantic  hull. 

The  Great  Eastern  was  freighted  to  the  amount  of 
25,000  francs  a  month.  Two  contracts  were  arranged  with 
G.  Forrester  and  Co.,  of  Liverpool  the  first  to  the  amount 
of  538,750  francs,  for  making  new  boilers  for  the  screw; 
the  second  to  the  amount  of  662,500  francs  for  general 
repairs,  and  fixings  on  board. 

Before  entering  upon  the  last  undertaking,  the  Board  of 
Trade  required  that  the  ship's  hull  should  undergo  a  strict 
examination.  This  costly  operation  accomplished,  a  long 
crack  in  her  exterior  plates  was  carefully  repaired  at  a 
great  expense,  and  the  next  proceeding  was  to  fix  the  new 
boilers;  the  driving  main-shaft  of  the  wheels,  which  had 
been  damaged  during  the  last  voyage,  had  to  be  replaced 


OUR  PREPARATIONS  COMPLETED    9 

by  a  shaft,  provided  with  two  eccentric  wheels,  which  in- 
sured the  sohdity  of  this  important  part.  And  now  for 
the  first  time  the  Great  Eastern  was  to  be  steered  by 
steam. 

It  was  for  this  dehcate  operation  that  the  engineers  in- 
tended the  engine  which  they  had  placed  at  the  stern.  The 
steersman  standing  on  the  bridge  between  the  signal  ap- 
paratus of  the  wheels  and  the  screw,  has  before  his  eyes  a 
dial  provided  with  a  moving  needle,  which  tells  him  every 
moment  the  position  of  his  rudder.  In  order  to  modify 
it,  he  has  only  to  press  his  hand  lightly  on  a  small  wheel, 
measuring  hardly  a  foot  in  diameter,  and  placed  within  his 
reach.  Immediately  the  valves  open,  the  steam  from  the 
boilers  rushes  along  the  conducting  tubes  into  the  two 
cylinders  of  the  small  engine,  the  pistons  move  rapidly, 
and  the  rudder  instantly  obeys.  If  this  plan  succeeds,  a 
man  will  be  able  to  direct  the  gigantic  body  of  the  Great 
Eastern  with  one  finger. 

For  five  days  operations  continued  with  distracting  ac- 
tivity. These  delays  considerably  affected  the  enterprise 
of  the  freighters,  but  the  contractors  could  do  no  more. 
The  day  for  setting  sail  was  finally  settled  for  the  26th  of 
March.  The  25th  still  saw  the  deck  strewn  with  all  kinds 
of  tools. 

During  this  last  day,  however,  little  by  little  the  gang- 
ways were  cleared,  the  scaffoldings  were  taken  down,  the 
fly-wheel  cranes  disappeared,  the  fixing  of  the  engines  was 
accomplished,  the  last  screws  and  nails  were  driven  in,  the 
reservoirs  filled  with  oil,  and  the  last  slab  rested  on  its  metal 
mortise.  This  day  the  chief  engineer  tried  the  boilers. 
The  engine-rooms  were  full  of  steam;  leaning  over  the 
hatchway,  enveloped  in  a  hot  mist,  I  could  see  nothing,  but 
I  heard  the  long  pistons  groaning,  and  the  huge  cylinders 
noisily  swaying  to  and  fro  on  their  solid  swing  blocks. 
The  muddy  waters  of  the  Mersey  were  lashed  into  foam 
by  the  slowly  revolving  paddle-wheels;  at  the  stern,  the 
screw  beat  the  waves  with  its  four  blades ;  the  two  engines, 
entirely  independent  of  each  other,  were  in  complete  work- 
ing order. 

Towards  five  o'clock  a  small  steamer,  intended  as  a  shore- 
boat  for  the  Great  Eastern,  came  alongside.  Her  mov- 
able engine  was  first  hoisted  on  board  by  means  of  wind- 


lo  A    FLOATING   CITY 

lasses,  but  as  for  the  steamer  herself,  she  could  not  be  em- 
barked. Her  steel  hull  was  so  heavy  that  the  davits  to 
which  it  was  attached  bent  under  the  weight,  undoubtedly 
this  would  not  have  occurred  had  they  supported  them  with 
lifts.  Therefore  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  the  steamer, 
but  there  still  remained  on  the  Great  Eastern  a  string 
of  sixteen  boats  hanging  to  the  davits. 

Everything  was  finished  by  evening;  not  a  trace  of  mud' 
was  visible  on  the  well-swept  boulevards,  for  an  army  of 
sweepers  had  been  at  work.  There  was  a  full  cargo ;  pro- 
visions, goods,  and  coal  filled  the  stewards'  room,  the  store, 
and  the  coal  houses.  However,  the  steamer  had  not  yet 
sunk  to  the  load  water-line,  and  did  not  draw  the  necessary 
thirty-three  feet.  It  was  an  inconvenient  position  for  the 
wheels,  for  the  paddles  not  being  sufficiently  immersed, 
caused  a  great  diminution  in  the  speed. 

Nevertheless  it  was  possible  to  set  sail,  and  I  went  to 
bed  with  the  hope  of  starting  next  day.  I  was  not  disap- 
pointed, for  at  break  of  dawn  I  saw  the  English,  French, 
and  American  flags  floating  from  the  masts. 


CHAPTER  III 

I  MEET  A   FRIEND 

The  Great  Eastern  was  indeed  preparing  to  sail.  Al- 
ready volumes  of  black  smoke  were  issuing  from  the  five 
chimneys,  and  hot  steam  filled  the  engine-rooms.  Some 
sailors  were  brightening  up  the  four  great  fog-cannons 
which  were  to  salute  Liverpool  as  we  sailed  by.  The  top- 
men  climbed  the  yards,  disentangled  the  rigging,  and 
tightened  the  shrouds  on  the  thick  ropes  fastened  to  the 
barricades.  About  eleven  o'clock  the  carpenters  and 
painters  put  the  finishing  touches  to  their  work,  and  then 
embarked  on  board  the  tender  which  awaited  them.  As 
soon  as  there  was  a  sufficient,  pressure  the  steam  rushed  Into 
the  cylinders  of  the  rudder  engine,  and  the  engineers  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  that  this  ingenious  contrivance  was  an 
entire  success. 

The  weather  was  fine,  with  bright  gleams  of  sunshine 
darting  through  the  rapidly-moving  clouds. 

The  officers  were  all  dispersed  about  the  deck,  making 


I    MEET   A   FRIEND  n 

preparations  for  getting  under  sail.  These  officials  con- 
sisted of  the  captain,  the  first  officer,  two  assistant  officers, 
five  lieutenants,  of  whom  one  was  a  Frenchman,  M.  H. — , 
and  a  volunteer  who  was  also  French. 

Captain  Anderson  holds  a  high  place  in  the  commercial 
marine  of  England.  It  is  to  him  we  are  indebted  for  the 
laying  of  the  Transatlantic  cable,  though  it  is  true  that  if 
he  succeeded  where  his  predecessors  had  failed,  it  was  be- 
cause he  worked  under  more  favorable  circumstances,  having 
the  Great  Eastern  at  his  command.  Be  it  as  it  may,  his 
■success  gained  for  him  the  title  of  "  Sir."  I  found  him 
to  be  a  very  agreeable  commander.  He  was  a  man  of 
about  fifty  years  of  age,  with  that  tawny  complexion  which 
remains  unchanged  by  weather  or  age;  a  thorough  Eng- 
lishman, with  a  tall  figure,  a  broad  smiling  face,  and  merry 
eyes;  walking  with  a  quiet  dignified  step,  his  hands  never 
in  his  pockets,  always  irreproachably  gloved  and  elegantly 
dressed,  and  invariably  with  a  little  piece  of  his  white  hand- 
kerchief peeping  out  of  the  pocket  of  his  blue  and  gold- 
laced  overcoat. 

The  first  officer  presented  a  singular  contrast  to  Captain 
Anderson,  and  his  appearance  is  easily  described : — an  ac- 
tive little  man,  with  a  very  sunburnt  skin,  a  black  beard 
almost  covering  his  face,  and  legs  which  defied  every  lurch 
of  the  vessel.  A  skillful,  energetic  seaman,  he  gave  his  or- 
ders in  a  clear,  decided  tone,  the  boatswain  repeating  them 
with  a  voice  like  the  roaring  of  a  hoarse  lion.     The  second 

officer's  name  was  W :  I  think  he  was  a  naval  officer, 

on  board  the  Great  Eastern  by  special  permission;  he 
had  all  the  appearance  of  a  regular  "  Jack-tar." 

Besides  the  ship  officers,  the  engines  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  a  chief  engineer,  assisted  by  eight  or  ten  engineer- 
ing officers,  and  a  battalion  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
some  stokers,  others  oilers,  who  hardly  ever  left  the  en- 
gine-rooms. This  army  of  men  was  well  occupied  night 
and  day,  having  ten  boilers  with  ten  furnaces  and  about  a 
hundred  fires  to  attend  to. 

As  for  the  crew  of  the  steamship  proper,  what  with 
quartermasters,  topmen,  steersmen,  and  cabin-boys,  it  com- 
prised about  one  hundred  men,  and  besides  these,  there  were 
two  hundred  stewards  for  serving  the  passengers. 

Every  man  was  at  his  post ;  the  pilot  who  was  to  conduct 


12  A    FLOATING   CITY 

the  vessel  out  of  the  Mersey  had  been  on  board  since  the 
evening  before.  I  saw  also  a  French  Pilot,  who  was  to 
make  the  passage  with  us,  and  on  her  return  to  take  the 
steamship  into  anchorage  at  Brest. 

"  I  begin  to  think  we  shall  sail  to-day,"  said  I  to  Lieu- 
tenant H . 

"  We  are  only  waiting  for  our  passengers,"  replied  my 
countryman. 

"  Are  there  many?  " 

"  Twelve  or  thirteen  hundred." 

At  half-past  eleven  the  tender  was  hailed,  laden  with  pas- 
sengers, who,  as  I  afterwards  learnt,  were  Calif ornians, 
Canadians,  Americans,  Peruvians,  English,  Germans,  and 
two  or  three  Frenchmen.  The  tender  ranged  herself  at  the 
foot  of  a  flight  of  steps,  and  then  began  the  slow,  inter- 
minable ascent  of  passengers  and  luggage. 

The  first  care  of  each  passenger,  when  he  had  once  set 
foot  on  the  steamer,  was  to  go  and  secure  his  place  in  the 
dining-room;  his  card,  or  his  name  written  on  a  scrap  of 
paper,  was  enough  to  insure  his  possession. 

I  remained  on  deck  in  order  to  notice  all  the  details  of 
embarkation.  At  half-past  twelve  the  luggage  was  all  on 
board,  and  I  saw  thousands  of  packages  of  every  descrip- 
tion, from  chests  large  enough  to  contain  a  suite  of  furni- 
ture, to  elegant  little  traveling-cases  and  fanciful  American 
and  English  trunks,  heaped  together  pell-mell.  All  these 
were  soon  cleared  from  the  deck,  and  stowed  away  in  the 
store-rooms;  workmen  and  porters  returned  to  the  tender, 
which  steered  off,  atfer  having  blackened  the  side  of  the 
Great  Eastern  with  her  smoke. 

I  was  going  back  towards  the  bows,  when  suddenly  I 
found  myself  face  to  face  with  the  young  man  I  had  seen 
on  Prince's  Landing-Stage.  He  stojDped  on  seeing  me,  and 
held  out  his  hand,  which  I  warmly  shook. 

"  You,  Fabian !  "  I  cried.     "  You  here  ?  " 

"  Even  so,  my  dear  friend." 

"  I  was  not  mistaken,  then ;  it  was  really  you  I  saw  on 
the  quay  a  day  or  two  since." 

"  It  is  likely,"  replied  Fabian,  "  but  I  did  not  see  you." 

"  And  you  are  going  to  America?  " 

"  Certainly !  Do  you  think  I  could  spend  a  month's  leave 
better  than  in  traveling?  " 


I    MEET   A   FRIEND  13 

"  How  fortunate  that  you  thought  of  making  your  tour 
in  the  Great  Eastern!" 

"  It  was  not  chance  at  all,  my  dear  fellow.  I  read  in  the 
newspaper  that  you  were  one  of  the  passengers;  and  as 
we  have  not  met  for  some  years  now,  I  came  on  board,  in 
order  to  make  the  passage  with  you." 

"Have  you  come  from  India?" 

*'  Yes,  by  the  Godavery,  which  arrived  at  Liverpool  the 
day  before  yesterday." 

"  And  you  are  traveling,  Fabian  ?  "  I  asked,  noticing 
his  pale,  sad  face. 

"  To  divert  my  mind,  if  I  can,"  interrupted  Captain  Mac- 
Elwin,  warmly  pressing  my  hand. 


CHAPTER  IV 

AN   ACCIDENT 

Fabian  left  me,  to  look  for  his  cabin,  which,  according  to 
the  ticket  he  held  in  his  hand,  was  number  seventy-three  of 
the  grand  saloon  series.  At  this  moment  large  volumes 
of  smoke  curled  from  the  chimneys;  the  steam  hissed  with 
a  deafening  noise  through  the  escape-pipes,  and  fell  in  a 
fine  rain  over  the  deck;  a  noisy  eddying  of  water  announced 
that  the  engines  were  at  work.  We  were  at  last  going  to 
start 

First  of  all  the  anchor  had  to  be  raised.  The  Great 
Eastern  swung  round  with  the  tide ;  all  was  now  clear,  and 
Captain  Anderson  was  obliged  to  choose  this  moment  to 
set  sail,  for  the  width  of  the  Great  Eastern  did  not 
allow  of  her  turning  round  in  the  Mersey.  He  was  more 
master  of  his  ship  and  more  certain  of  guiding  her  skillfully 
in  the  midst  of  the  numerous  boats  always  plying  on  the 
river  when  stemming  the  rapid  current  than  when  driven 
by  the  ebb-tide;  the  least  collision  with  this  gigantic  body 
iwould  have  proved  disastrous. 

To  weigh  anchor  under  these  circumstances  required  con- 
siderable exertion,  for  the  pressure  of  the  tide  stretched  the 
chains  by  which  the  ship  was  moored,  and  besides  this,  a 
strong  southwester  blew  with  full  force  on  her  hull,  so 
that  it  required  powerful  engines  to  hoist  the  heavy  an- 
chors from  their  muddy  beds.     An  anchor-boat,  intended 


14  A    FLOATING   CITY 

for  this  purpose,  had  just  stoppered  on  the  chains,  but  the 
windlasses  were  not  sufficiently  powerful,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  use  the  steam  apparatus  which  the  Great  Eastern 
had  at  her  disposal. 

At  the  bows  was  an  engine  of  sixty-six  horse-power. 
In  order  to  raise  the  anchors  it  was  only  necessary  to  send 
the  steam  from  the  boilers  into  its  cylinders  to  obtain  im- 
mediately a  considerable  power,  which  could  be  directly 
applied  to  the  windlass  on  which  the  chains  were  fastened. 
This  was  done;  but  powerful  as  it  was,  this  engine  was 
found  insufficient,  and  fifty  of  the  crew  were  set  to  turn  the 
capstan  with  bars,  thus  the  anchors  were  gradually  drawn 
in,  but  it  was  slow  work. 

I  was  on  the  poop  at  the  bows  with  several  other  pas- 
sengers at  this  moment,  watching  the  details  of  departure. 
Near  me  stood  a  traveler,  who  frequently  shrugged  his 
shoulders  impatiently,  and  did  not  spare  disparaging  jokes 
on  the  tardiness  of  the  work.  He  was  a  thin,  nervous  little 
man,  with  quick,  restless  eyes :  a  physiognomist  could  easily 
see  that  the  things  of  this  life  always  appeared  on  their 
funny  side  to  this  philosopher  of  Democrates  school,  for  his 
risible  muscles  were  never  still  for  a  moment;  but  without 
describing  him  further,  I  need  only  say  I  found  him  a  very 
pleasant  fellow-traveler. 

"  I  thought  until  now,  sir,"  said  he  to  me,  **  that  engines 
were  made  to  help  men,  not  men  to  help  engines." 

I  was  going  to  reply  to  this  wise  observation,  when  there 
was  a  loud  cry,  and  immediately  my  companion  and  I  were 
hurled  towards  the  bows ;  every  man  at  the  capstan-bars  was 
knocked  down;  some  got  up  again,  others  lay  scattered  on 
the  deck.  A  catch  had  broken,  and  the  capstan  being  forced 
round  by  the  frightful  pressure  of  the  chains,  the  men, 
caught  by  the  rebound,  were  struck  violently  on  the  head 
and  chest.  Freed  from  their  broken  rope-bands,  the  cap- 
stan-bars flew  in  all  directions  like  grape-shot,  killing  four 
sailors,  and  wounding  twelve  others;  among  the  latter  was 
the  boatswain,  a  Scotchman  from  Dundee. 

The  spectators  hurried  towards  the  unfortunate  men,  the 
wounded  were  taken  to  the  hospital  at  the  stern ;  as  for  the 
four  already  dead,  preparations  were  immediately  miade  to 
send  them  on  shore :  so  lightly  do  Anglo-Saxons  regard 
death,  that  this  event  made  very  little  impression  on  board. 


AN   ACCIDENT  15 

These  unhappy  men,  killed  and  wounded,  were  only  tools, 
which  could  be  replaced  at  very  little  expense.  The  tender, 
already  some  distance  off,  was  hailed,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
she  was  alongside. 

I  went  towards  the  fore-part  of  the  vessel,  the  staircase 
had  not  yet  been  raised.  The  four  corpses,  enveloped  in 
coverings,  were  let  down,  and  placed  on  the  deck  of  the 
tender.  One  of  the  surgeons  on  board  embarked  to  go  with 
them  to  Liverpool,  with  injunctions  to  rejoin  the  Great 
Eastern  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  tender  immediately 
sheered  off,  and  the  sailors  went  to  the  bows,  to  wash  the 
stains  of  blood  from  the  deck. 

I  ought  to  add  that  one  of  the  passengers,  slightly 
iwounded  by  the  breaking  of  the  pinion,  took  advantage  of 
this  circumstance  to  leave  by  the  tender;  he  had  already 
had  enough  of  the  Great  Eastern. 

I  watched  the  little  boat  going  off  full  steam,  and,  turn- 
ing round  I  heard  my  ironical  fellow-traveler  muttering 
these  words: 

"  A  good  beginning  for  a  voyage !  " 

"  A  very  bad  one,  sir,"  said  I.  "  To  whom  have  I  the 
honor  of  speaking? " 

"  To  Dr.  Dean  Pitferge." 


CHAPTER  V 

OFF  AT  LAST 

The  work  of  weighing  anchors  was  resumed;  with  the 
help  of  the  anchor-boat  the  chains  were  eased,  and  the  an- 
chors at  last  left  their  tenacious  depths.  A  quarter  past 
one  sounded  from  the  Birkenhead  clock-towers,  the  moment 
of  departure  could  not  be  deferred,  if  it  was  intended  to 
make  use  of  the  tide.  The  captain  and  pilot  went  on  the 
foot-bridge;  one  lieutenant  placed  himself  near  the  screw- 
signal  apparatus,  another  near  that  of  the  paddle-wheel,  in 
case  of  the  failure  of  the  steam-engine;  four  other  steers- 
men watched  at  the  stern,  ready  to  put  in  action  the  great 
wheels  placed  on  the  gratings  of  the  hatchings.  The 
Great  Eastern,  making  head  against  the  current,  was 
now  only  waiting  to  descend  the  river  with  the  ebb-tide. 

The  order  for  departure  was  given,  the  paddles  slowly 


i6  A    FLOATING   CITY 

struck  the  water,  the  screw  bubbled  at  the  stern,  and  the 
enormous  vessel  began  to  move. 

The  greater  part  of  the  passengers  on  the  poop  were 
gazing  at  the  double  landscape  of  Liverpool  and  Birken- 
head, studded  with  manufactory  chimneys.  The  Mersey, 
covered  with  ships,  some  lying  at  anchor,  others  ascending 
and  descending  the  river,  offered  only  a  winding  passage 
for  our  steamship.  But  under  the  hand  of  a  pilot,  sensible 
to  the  least  inclinations  of  her  rudder,  she  glided  through 
the  narrow  passages,  like  a  whale-boat  beneath  the  oar  of 
a  vigorous  steersman.  At  one  time  I  thought  that  we  were 
going  to  run  foul  of  a  brig,  which  was  drifting  across  the 
stream,  her  bows  nearly  grazing  the  hull  of  the  Great 
Eastern,  but  a  collision  was  avoided,  and  when  from  the 
height  of  the  upper  deck  I  looked  at  this  ship,  which  was 
not  of  less  than  seven  or  eight  hundred  tons  burden,  she 
seemed  to  me  no  larger  than  the  tiny  boats  which  children 
play  with  on  the  lakes  of  Regent's  Park  or  the  Serpentine. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  Great  Eastern  was  opposite  the 
Liverpool  landing-stages,  but  the  four  cannons  which  were 
to  have  saluted  the  town,  were  silent  out  of  respect  to  the 
dead,  for  the  tender  was  disembarking  them  at  this  mo- 
ment; however,  loud  hurrahs  replaced  the  reports  which 
are  the  last  expressions  of  national  politeness.  Immedi- 
ately there  was  a  vigorous  clapping  of  hands  and  waving 
of  handkerchiefs,  with  all  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the 
English  hail  the  departure  of  every  vessel,  be  it  only  a  simple 
yacht  sailing  round  a  bay.  But  with  what  shouts  they  were 
answered!  what  echoes  they  called  forth  from  the  quays! 
There  were  thousands  of  spectators  on  both  the  Liverpool 
and  Birkenhead  sides,  and  boats  laden  with  sight-seers 
swarmed  on  the  Mersey.  The  sailors  manning  the  yards 
of  the  Lord  Clyde,  lying  at  anchor  opposite  the  docks, 
saluted  the  giant  with  their  hearty  cheers. 

But  even  the  noise  of  the  cheering  could  not  drown  the 
frightful  discord  of  several  bands  playing  at  the  same 
time.  Flags  were  incessantly  hoisted  in  honor  of  the  Great 
Eastern,  but  soon  the  cries  grew  faint  in  the  distance.  Our 
steamship  ranged  near  the  Tripoli,  a  Cunard  emigrant- 
boat,  which  in  spite  of  her  2,000  tons  burden  looked  like  a 
mere  barge ;  then  the  houses  grew  fewer  and  more  scattered 
on  both  shores,  the  landscape  was  no  longer  blackened  with 

V.  VU  Varna 


OFF   AT   LAST  17 

smoke;  and  brick  walls,  with  the  exception  of  some  long 
regular  buildings  intended  for  workmen's  houses,  gave  way 
to  the  open  country,  with  pretty  villas  dotted  here  and  there. 
Our  last  salutation  reached  us  from  the  platform  of  the 
lighthouse  and  the  walls  of  the  bastion. 

At  three  o'clock  the  Great  Eastern  had  crossed  the  bar 
of  the  Mersey,  and  shaped  her  course  down  St.  George's 
Channel.  There  was  a  strong  sou'wester  blowing,  and 
a  very  heavy  swell  on  the  sea,  but  the  steamship  did  not 
feel  it. 

Towards  four  o'clock  the  Captain  gave  orders  to  heave 
to;  the  tender  put  on  full  steam  to  rejoin  us,  as  she  was 
bringing  back  the  doctor.  When  the  boat  came  alongside 
a  rope-ladder  was  thrown  out,  by  which  he  ascended,  not 
without  some  difficulty.  Our  more  agile  pilot  slid  down 
by  the  same  way  into  his  boat,  which  was  awaiting  him,  each 
rower  provided  with  a  cork  jacket.  Some  minutes  after  he 
went  on  board  a  charming  little  schooner  waiting  to  catch 
the  breeze. 

Our  course  was  immediately  continued;  under  the  pres- 
sure of  the  paddles  and  the  screw,  the  speed  of  the  Great 
Eastern  greatly  increased;  in  spite  of  the  wind  ahead,  she 
neither  rolled  nor  pitched.  Soon  the  shades  of  night 
stretched  across  the  sea,  and  Holyhead  Point  was  lost  in 
the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LIFE  ON  BOARD  THE  GREAT  EASTERN 

The  next  day,  the  27th  of  March,  the  Great  Eastern 
coasted  along  the  deeply  indented  Irish  shore.  I  had 
chosen  my  cabin  at  the  bows;  it  was  a  small  room  well 
lighted  by  two  skylights.  A  second  row  of  cabins  separ- 
ated it  from  the  first  saloon,  so  that  neither  the  noise  of 
conversation,  nor  the  rattling  of  pianos,  which  were  not 
wanting  on  board,  could  reach  me.  It  was  an  isolated 
cabin;  the  furniture  consisted  of  a  sofa,  a  bedstead,  and  a 
toilet-table. 

The  next  morning  at  seven  o'clock,  having  crossed  the 
first  two  rooms,  I  went  on  deck.  A  few  passengers  were 
already  pacing  the  upper  decks;  an  almost  imperceptible 


i8  A    FLOATING   CITY 

swell  balanced  the  steamer;  the  wind  was  high,  but  the  sea, 
protected  by  the  coast,  was  comparatively  calm. 

Soon  we  came  in  sight  of  Queenstown,  a  small  "  calling- 
place,"  before  which  several  fishermen's  boats  were  at  work. 
It  is  here  that  all  ships  bound  for  Liverpool,  whether 
steamers  or  sailing-ships,  throw  out  their  despatch-bags, 
which  are  carried  to  Dublin  in  a  few  hours  by  an  express 
train  always  in  readiness.  From  Dublin  they  are  conveyed 
across  the  channel  to  Holyhead  by  a  fast  steamer,  so  that 
despatches  thus  sent  are  one  day  in  advance  of  the  most 
rapid  Transatlantic  steamers. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  bearings  of  the  Great  Eastern 
were  west-northwest.  I  was  just  going  on  deck,  when  I 
met  Captain  MacElwin,  accompanied  by  a  friend,  a  tall 
robust  man,  with  a  light  beard  and  long  mustache  which 
mingled  with  the  whiskers  and  left  the  chin  bare,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  day.  This  tall  fellow  was  the  exact  type  of 
an  English  officer;  his  figure  was  erect  without  stiffness, 
his  look  calm,  his  walk  dignified  but  easy;  his  whole  ap- 
pearance seemd  to  indicate  unusual  courage,  and  I  was  not 
mistaken  in  him.  "  My  friend,  Archibald  Corsican,"  said 
Fabian  to  me,  "  a  captain  in  the  22nd  regiment  of  the  Indian 
army,  like  myself." 

Thus  introduced,  Captain  Corsican  and  I  bowed. 

"  We  hardly  saw  each  other  yesterday,  Fabian,"  said  I, 
shaking  Captain  MacElwin's  hand,  "  we  were  in  the  bustle 
of  departure,  so  that  all  I  know  about  you  is  that  it  was 
not  chance  which  brought  you  on  board  the  Great  Eastern. 
I  must  confess  that  if  I  have  anything  to  do  with  your  de- 
cision  " 

"  Undoubtedly,  my  dear  fellow,"  interrupted  Fabian ; 
"  Captain  Corsican  and  I  came  to  Liverpool  with  the  in- 
tention of  taking  our  berths  on  board  the  China,  a  Cunard 
steamer,  when  we  heard  that  the  Great  Eastern  was  going 
to  attempt  another  passage  from  England  to  America;  it 
was  a  chance  we  might  not  get  again,  and  learning  that  you 
were  on  board  I  did  not  hestitate,  as  I  had  not  seen  you 
since  we  took  that  delightful  trip  in  the  Scandinavian  States 
three  years  ago;  so  now  you  know  how  it  was  that  the 
tender  brought  us  here  yesterday." 

"  My  dear  Fabian,"  I  replied,  "  I  believe  that  neither 
Captain  Corsican  nor  yourself  will  regret  your  decision,  as 


LIFE    ABOARD   THE   "GREAT    EASTERN"    19 

a  passage  across  the  Atlantic  in  this  huge  boat  cannot  fail 
to  be  interesting  even  to  you  who  are  so  little  used  to  the 
sea.  But  now  let  us  talk  about  yourself.  Your  last  letter, 
and  it  is  not  more  than  six  weeks  since  I  received  it,  bore 
the  Bombay  post-mark,  so  that  I  was  justified  in  believing 
you  were  still  with  your  regiment." 

"  We  were  so  three  weeks  ago,"  said  Fabian,  "  leading 
the  half-military,  half-country  life  of  Indian  officers,  em- 
ploying most  of  our  time  in  hunting;  my  friend  here  is  a 
famed  tiger-killer;  however,  as  we  are  both  single  and 
without  family  ties,  we  thought  we  would  let  the  poor  wild 
beasts  of  the  peninsula  rest  for  a  time,  while  we  came  to 
Europe  to  breathe  a  little  of  our  native  air.  We  obtained  a 
year's  leave,  and  traveling  by  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  Suez, 
and  France,  we  reached  Old  England  with  the  utmost  pos- 
sible speed." 

"  Old  England,"  said  Captain  Corsican,  smiling;  "  we  are 
there  no  longer,  Fabian ;  we  are  on  board  an  English  ship, 
but  it  is  freighted  by  a  French  company,  and  it  is  taking  us 
to  America;  three  different  flags  float  over  our  heads,  sig- 
nifying that  we  are  treading  on  Franco-Anglo-Americarf 
boards." 

"  What  does  it  matter,"  replied  Fabian,  and  a  painful 
expression  passed  over  his  face;  "what  does  it  matter,  so 
long  as  it  whiles  away  the  time?  '  Movement  is  life; '  and 
it  is  well  to  be  able  to  forget  the  past,  and  kill  the  present 
by  continual  change.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  be  at  New 
York,  where  I  hope  to  meet  again  my  sister  and  her  chil- 
dren, whom  I  have  not  seen  for  several  years;  then  we  shall 
visit  the  great  lakes,  and  descend  the  Mississippi  as  far  as 
New  Orleans,  where  we  shall  look  for  sport  on  the  Amazon. 
Then  we  are  going  to  Africa,  where  the  lions  and  elephants 
will  make  the  Cape  their  *  rendezvous,'  in  order  to  celebrate 
the  arrival  of  Captain  Corsican.  Finally,  we  shall  return 
and  impose  on  the  Sepoys  the  caprices  of  the  metropolis." 

Fabian  spoke  with  a  nervous  volubility,  and  his  breast 
heaved;  evidently  there  was  some  great  grief  weighing  on 
his  mind,  the  cause  of  which  I  was  at  yet  ignorant  of,  but 
with  which  Archibald  seemed  to  be  well  acquainted.  He 
evinced  a  warm  friendship  for  Fabian,  who  was  several 
years  younger  than  himself,  treating  him  like  a  younger 
brother,  with  a  devotion  which  almost  amounted  to  heroism. 


20  A   FLOATING   CITY 

At  this  moment  our  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the 
sound  of  a  horn,  which  announced  the  half-past  twelve 
lunch.  Four  times  a  day,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the 
passengers,  this  shrill  horn  sounded:  at  half-past  eight  for 
breakfast,  half-past  twelve  for  lunch,  four  o'clock  for  din- 
ner, and  at  seven  for  tea.  In  a  few  minutes  the  long  streets 
were  deserted,  and  soon  the  tables  in  the  immense  saloons 
were  filled  with  guests.  I  succeeded  in  getting  a  place  near 
Fabian  and  Captain  Corsican. 

The  dining-rooms  were  provided  with  four  long  rows  of 
tables;  the  glasses  and  bottles  placed  in  swing-racks  kept 
perfectly  steady;  the  roll  of  the  steamer  was  almost  imper- 
ceptible, so  that  the  guests — men,  women,  and  children — 
could  eat  their  lunch  without  any  fear.  Numerous  waiters 
were  busy  carrying  round  the  tastily-arranged  dishes,  and 
supplying  the  demands  for  wine  and  beer;  the  Californians 
certainly  distinguished  themselves  by  their  proclivities  for 
champagne.  Near  her  husband  sat  an  old  laundress,  who* 
had  found  gold  in  the  San  Francisco  washing-tubs,  empty- 
ing a  bottle  of  champagne  in  no  time;  two  or  three  pale, 
delicate-looking  young  ladies  were  eagerly  devouring  slices 
of  red  beef;  and  others  discussing  with  evident  satisfaction 
the  merits  of  rhubarb  tart,  &c.  Everyone  worked  away  in 
the  highest  spirits;  one  could  have  fancied  oneself  at  a 
restaurant  in  the  middle  of  Paris  instead  of  the  open  sea. 

Lunch  over,  the  decks  were  again  filled ;  people  bowed  and 
spoke  to  each  other  in  passing  as  formally  as  if  they  were 
walking  in  Hyde  Park;  children  played  and  ran  about, 
throwing  their  balls  and  bowling  hoops  as  they  might  have 
done  on  the  gravel  walks  of  the  Tuileries;  the  greater  part 
of  the  men  walked  up  and  down  smoking;  the  ladies,  seated 
on  folding-chairs,  worked,  read,  or  talked  together,  whilst 
the  governesses  and  nurses  looked  after  the  children.  A 
few  corpulent  Americans  swung  themselves  backwards  and 
forwards  in  their  rocking-chairs;  the  ship's  officers  were 
continually  passing  to  and  fro,  some  going  to  their  watch 
on  the  bridge,  others  answering  the  absurd  questions  put 
to  them  by  passengers;  whilst  the  tones  of  an  organ  and 
two  or  three  pianos  making  a  distracting  discord,  reached 
us  through  the  lulls  in  the  wind. 

About  three  o'clock  a  loud  shouting  was  heard;  the  pas- 
sengers crowded  onto  the  poop;  the  Great  Eastern  had 


LIFE    ABOARD    THE    "GREAT    EASTERN"    21 

ranged  within  two  cable-lengths  of  a  vessel  which  she  had 
overhauled.  It  was  the  Propontis,  on  her  way  to  New 
York,  which  was  saluting  the  giant  of  the  seas  on  her  pas- 
sage, which  compliment  the  giant  returned. 

Land  was  still  in  sight  at  four  o'clock,  but  hardly  dis- 
cernible through  the  mist  which  had  suddenly  surrounded 
us.  Soon  we  saw  the  light  of  Fastenet  Beacon,  situated  on 
an  isolated  rock.  Night  set  in,  during  which  we  must  have 
doubled  Cape  Clear,  the  most  southerly  point  of  Ireland. 


CHAPTER  VII 

HINTS  OF  TROUBLE 

On  Wednesday  night  the  weather  was  very  bad,  my  bal- 
ance was  strangely  variable,  and  I  was  obliged  to  lean  with 
my  knees  and  elbows  against  the  sideboard,  to  prevent  my- 
self from  falling.  Portmanteaus  and  bags  came  in  and  out 
of  my  cabin;  an  unusual  hubbub  reigned  in  the  adjoining 
saloon,  in  which  two  or  three  hundred  packages  were  mak- 
ing expeditions  from  one  end  to  the  other,  knocking  the 
tables  and  chairs  with  loud  crashes;  doors  slammed,  the 
boards  creaked,  the  partitions  made  that  groaning  noise 
peculiar  to  pine  wood;  bottles  and  glasses  jingled  together 
in  their  racks,  and  a  cataract  of  plates  and  dishes  rolled 
about  on  the  pantry  floors.  I  heard  the  irregular  roaring 
of  the  screw,  and  the  wheels  beating  the  water,  sometimes 
entirely  immersed,  and  at  others  striking  the  empty  air; 
by  all  these  signs  I  concluded  that  the  wind  had  freshened, 
and  the  steamship  was  no  longer  indifferent  to  the  billows. 

At  six  o'clock  next  morning,  after  passing  a  sleepless 
night,  I  got  up  and  dressed  myself,  as  well  as  I  could  with 
one  hand,  while  with  the  other  I  clutched  at  the  sides  of  my 
cabin,  for  without  support  it  was  impossible  to  keep  one's 
feet,  and  I  had  quite  a  serious  struggle  to  get  on  my  over- 
coat. I  left  my  cabin,  and  helping  myself  with  hands  and 
feet  through  the  billows  of  luggage,  I  crossed  the  saloon, 
scrambling  up  the  stairs  on  my  knees,  like  a  Roman  peasant 
devoutly  climbing  the  steps  of  the  "  Scala  santa "  of 
Pontius  Pilate;  and  at  last,  reaching  the  deck,  I  hung  on 
firmly  to  the  nearest  support. 

No  land  in  sight ;  we  had  doubled  Cape  Clear  in  the  night. 


32  A   FLOATING   CITY 

and  around  us  was  that  vast  circumference  bounded  by  the 
line,  where  water  and  sky  appear  to  meet.  The  slate- 
colored  sea  broke  in  great  foamless  billows.  The  Great 
Eastern  struck  amidships,  and  supported  by  no  sail,  rolled 
frightfully,  her  bare  masts  describing  immense  circles  in 
the  air.  There  was  no  heaving  to  speak  of,  but  the  rolling 
was  dreadful,  it  was  impossible  to  stand  upright.  The 
officer  on  watch,  clinging  to  the  bridge,  looked  as  if  he  was 
in  a  swing. 

From  one  support  to  another  I  managed  to  reach  the 
paddles  on  the  starboard  side,  the  deck  was  damp  and 
slippery  from  the  spray  and  mist :  I  was  just  going  to  fasten 
myself  to  a  stanchion  of  the  bridge  when  a  body  rolled  at 
my  feet. 

It  was  Dr.  Pitferge,  my  quaint  friend:  he  scrambled  on 
to  his  knees,  and  looking  at  me  said :  "  That's  all  right,  the 
amplitude  of  the  arc,  described  by  the  sides  of  the  Great 
Eastern,  is  forty  degrees;  that  is,  twenty  degrees  below 
the  horizontal,  and  twenty  above  it." 

"  Indeed ! "  cried  I,  laughing,  not  at  the  observation,  but 
at  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was  made. 

"  Yes !  "  replied  the  Doctor.  "  During  the  oscillation  the 
speed  of  the  sides  is  fifty-nine  inches  per  second,  a  trans- 
atlantic boat  half  the  size  takes  but  the  same  time  to  re- 
cover her  equilibrium." 

"  Then,"  replied  I,  "  since  that  is  the  case,  there  is  an 
excess  of  stability  in  the  Great  Eastern." 

"  For  her,  yes,  but  not  for  her  passengers,"  answered 
Dean  Pitferge  gayly,  "  for  you  see  they  come  back  to  the 
horizontal  quicker  than  they  care  for." 

The  Doctor,  delighted  with  his  repartee,  raised  himself, 
and  holding  each  other  up,  we  managed  to  reach  a  seat  on 
the  poop.  Dean  Pitferge  had  come  off  very  well,  with  only 
a  few  bruises,  and  I  congratulated  him  on  his  lucky  escape, 
as  he  might  have  broken  his  neck. 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  over  yet,"  said  he;  "  there  is  more  trouble 
coming." 

"To  us?" 

"  To  the  steamer,  and  consequently  to  me,  to  us,  and  to 
all  the  passengers." 

"If  you  are  speaking  seriously,  why  did  you  come  on 
board?" 


HINTS    OF    TROUBLE  23 

"To  see  what  is  going  to  happen,  for  I  should  not  be  at 
all  ill-pleased  to  witness  a  shipwreck!"  replied  the  Doctor, 
looking  at  me  knowingly. 

"  Is  this  the  first  time  you  have  been  on  board  the  Great 
East  em  f  " 

"  No,  I  have  already  made  several  voyages  in  her,  to 
satisfy  my  curiosity." 

"  You  must  not  complain,  then." 

"I  do  not  complain;  I  merely  state  facts,  and  patiently 
await  the  hour  of  the  catastrophe." 

Was  the  Doctor  making  fun  of  me?  I  did  not  know 
what  to  think,  his  small  twinkling  eyes  looked  very  roguish ; 
but  I  thought  I  would  try  him  further.  "  Doctor,"  I  said, 
*''  I  do  not  know  on  what  facts  your  painful  prognostics  are 
founded,  but  allow  me  to  remind  you  that  the  Great  Eastern 
has  crossed  the  Atlantic  twenty  times,  and  most  of  her  pas- 
sages have  been  satisfactory." 

"  That's  of  no  consequence;  this  ship  is  bewitched,  to  use 
a  common  expression,  she  cannot  escape  her  fate;  I  know 
it,  and  therefore  have  no  confidence  in  her.  Remember 
what  difficulties  the  engineers  had  to  launch  her;  I  believe 
even  that  Brunei,  who  built  her,  died  from  the  *  effects  of 
the  operation,'  as  we  doctors  say." 

"  Ah,  Doctor,"  said  I,  "  are  you  inclined  to  be  a  material- 
ist?" 

"  Why  ask  me  that  question.'* " 

"  Because  I  have  noticed  that  many  who  do  not  believe 
in  God  believe  in  most  everything  else,  even  in  the  evil 
eye." 

"  Make  fun  if  you  like,  sir,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "  but 
allow  me  to  continue  my  argument.  The  Great  Eastern 
has  already  ruined  several  companies.  Built  for  the  pur- 
pose of  carrying  emigrants  to  Australia,  she  has  never  once 
been  there ;  intended  to  surpass  the  ocean  steamers  in  speed, 
she  even  remains  inferior  to  them." 

"  From  this,"  said  I,  "  it  is  to  be  concluded  that »" 

"  Listen  a  minute,"  interrupted  the  Doctor.  "  Already 
one  of  her  captains  has  been  drowned,  and  he  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  for  he  knew  how  to  prevent  this  rolling  by 
keeping  the  ship  a  little  ahead  of  the  waves." 

"  Ah,  well !  "  said  I,  "  the  death  of  that  able  man  is  to  be 
regretted." 


24  A    FLOATING   CITY 

"  Then,"  continued  Dean  Pitferge,  without  noticing  my 
increduHty,  "strange  stories  are  told  about  this  ship;  they 
say  that  a  passenger  who  lost  his  way  in  the  hold  of  the 
ship,  like  a  pioneer  in  the  forests  of  America,  has  never  yet 
been  found." 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  I  ironically,  "  there's  a  fact !  " 

"  They  say,  also,  that  during  the  construction  of  the 
boilers  an  engineer  was  melted  by  mistake  in  the  steam- 
box." 

"Bravo!"  cried  I;  "the  melted  engineer!  *E  ben 
trovato.'     Do  you  believe  it,  Doctor?" 

"  I  believe,"  replied  Pitferge,  "  I  believe  quite  seriously 
that  our  voyage  began  badly,  and  that  it  will  end  in  the  same 
manner." 

"  But  the  Great  Eastern  is  a  solid  structure,"  I  said, 
"  and  built  so  firmly  that  she  is  able  to  resist  the  most  fur- 
ious seas  like  a  solid  block." 

"Solid  she  is,  undoubtedly,"  resumed  the  doctor;  "but 
let  her  fall  into  the  hollow  of  the  waves,  and  see  if  she  will 
rise  again.  Maybe  she  is  a  giant,  but  a  giant  whose  strength 
is  not  in  proportion  to  her  size ;  her  engines  are  too  feeble 
for  her.  Have  you  ever  heard  speak  of  her  nineteenth 
passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  ?  " 

"  No,  Doctor." 

"  Well,  I  was  on  board.  We  left  Liverpool  on  a  Tues- 
day, the  loth  of  December;  there  were  numerous  pas- 
sengers, and  all  full  of  confidence.  Everything  went  well 
so  long  as  we  were  protected  by  the  Irish  coast  from  the 
billows  of  the  open  sea;  no  rolling,  no  sea-sickness;  the  next 
day,  even,  the  same  stability;  the  passengers  were  delighted. 
On  the  1 2th,  however,  the  wind  freshent^  towards  morn- 
ing; the  Great  Eastern,  heading  the  waves,  rolled  consider- 
ably; the  passengers,  men  and  women,  disappeared  into  the 
cabins.  At  four  o'clock  the  wind  blew  a  hurricane;  the 
furniture  began  to  dance ;  a  mirror  in  the  saloon  was  broken 
by  a  blow  from  the  head  of  your  humble  servant;  all  the 
crockery  was  smashed  to  atoms;  there  was  a  frightful  up- 
roar; eight  shore-boats  were  torn  from  the  davits  in  one 
swoop.  At  this  moment  our  situation  was  serious;  the 
paddle-wheel-engine  had  to  be  stopped;  an  enormous  piece 
of  lead,  displaced  by  a  lurch  of  the  vessel,  threatened  to 
fall  into  its  machinery ;  however,  the  screw  continued  to  send 


HINTS    OF    TROUBLE 


25 


us  on.  Soon  the  wheels  began  turning  again,  but  very 
slowly;  one  of  them  had  been  damaged  during  the  stoppage, 
and  its  spokes  and  paddles  scraped  the  hull  of  the  ship. 
The  engine  had  to  be  stopped  again,  and  we  had  to  content 
ourselves  with  the  screw.  The  night  was  fearful;  the  fury 
of  the  tempest  was  redoubled;  the  Great  Eastern  had  fallen 
into  the  trough  of  the  sea  and  could  not  right  herself;  at 
break  of  day  there  Vv-as  not  a  piece  of  iron-work  remaining 
on  the  wheels.  They  hoisted  a  few  sails  in  order  to  right 
the  ship,  but  no  sooner  were  they  hoisted  than  they  were 
carried  away;  confusion  reigned  everywhere;  the  cable- 
chains,  torn  from  their  beds,  rolled  from  one  side  of  the 
ship  to  the  other;  a  cattle-pen  was  knocked  in,  and  a  cow 
fell  into  the  ladies'  saloon  through  the  hatchway;  another 
misfortune  was  the  breaking  of  the  rudder-chock,  so  that 
steering  was  no  longer  possible.  Frightful  crashes  were 
heard;  an  oil  tank,  weighing  over  three  tons,  had  broken 
from  its  fixings,  and,  rolling  across  the  tween-decks,  struck 
the  sides  alternately  like  a  battering-ram.  Saturday  passed 
in  the  midst  of  a  general  terror,  the  ship  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea  all  the  time.  Not  until  Sunday  did  the  wind  begin  to 
abate,  an  American  engineer  on  board  then  succeeded  in 
fastening  the  chains  on  the  rudder;  we  turned  little  by  little, 
and  the  Great  Eastern  righted  herself.  A  week  after  we 
left  Liverpool  we  reached  Queenstown.  Now,  who  knows, 
sir,  where  we  shall  be  in  a  week?  " 


CHAPTER  Vni 

WE  SIGHT  A  WRECK 

It  must  be  confessed  the  Doctor's  words  were  not  very 
comforting,  the  passengers  would  not  have  heard  them 
without  shuddering.  Was  he  joking,  or  did  he  speak  ser- 
iously? Was  it,  indeed,  true,  that  he  went  with  the  Great 
Eastern  in  all  her  voyages,  to  be  present  at  some  catas- 
trophe ?  Everything  is  possible  for  an  eccentric,  especially 
when  he  is  English. 

However,  the  Great  Eastern  continued  her  course,  toss- 
ing like  a  canoe,  and  keeping  strictly  to  the  "  shortest  line  " 
of  steamers.  It  is  well  known,  that  on  a  flat  surface,  the 
nearest  way  from  one  point  to  another  is  by  a  straight  line. 


26  A    FLOATING   CITY 

On  a  sphere  it  is  the  curved  Hne  formed  by  the  circumfer- 
ence of  great  circles.  Ships  have  an  interest  in  following 
this  route,  in  order  to  make  the  shortest  passage,  but 
sailing  vessels  cannot  pursue  this  track  against  a  head- 
wind, so  that  steamers  alone  are  able  to  maintain  a  direct 
course,  and  take  the  route  of  the  great  circles.  This  is 
what  the  Great  Eastern  did,  making  a  little  for  the 
northwest. 

The  rolling  never  ceased,  that  horrible  sea-sickness,  at 
the  same  time  contagious  and  epidemic,  made  rapid  prog- 
ress. Several  of  the  passengers,  with  wan,  pallid  faces, 
and  sunken  cheeks,  remained  on  deck,  in  order  to  breathe 
the  fresh  air,  the  greater  part  of  them  were  furious  at  the 
unlucky  steamship,  which  was  conducting  herself  like  a 
mere  buoy,  and  at  the  freighter's  advertisements,  which  had 
stated  that  sea-sickness  was  "  unknown  on  board." 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  an  object  three  or  four 
miles  off  was  signaled  from  the  larboard  quarter.  Was  it 
a  waif,  the  carcass  of  a  whale,  or  the  hull  of  a  ship?  As 
yet  it  was  not  distinguishable.  A  group  of  convalescent 
passengers  stood  on  the  upper-deck,  at  the  bows,  looking  at 
this  waif  which  was  floating  three  hundred  miles  from  the 
nearest  land. 

Meanwhile  the  Great  Eastern  was  bearing  towards  the 
object  signaled;  all  opera-glasses  were  promptly  raised, 
and  there  was  no  lack  of  conjecture.  Between  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  English,  to  whom  every  pretext  for  a  wager  is 
welcome,  betting  at  once  commenced.  Among  the  most 
desperate  of  the  betters  I  noticed  a  tall  man,  whose  counte- 
nance struck  me  as  one  of  profound  duplicity.  His  features 
were  stamped  with  a  look  of  general  hatred,  which  neither 
a  physiognomist,  nor  physiologist  could  mistake;  his  fore- 
head was  seamed  with  a  deep  furrow,  his  manner  was  at 
the  same  time  audacious  and  listless,  his  eyebrows  nearly 
meeting,  partly  concealed  the  stony  eyes  beneath,  his 
shoulders  were  high  and  his  chin  thrust  forward,  in  fact 
all  the  indications  of  insolence  and  knavery  were  united  in 
his  appearance.  He  spoke  in  loud  pompous  tones,  while 
some  of  his  worthy  associates  laughed  at  his  coarse  jokes. 
^  This  personage  pretended  to  recognize  in  the  waif  the  car- 
cass of  a  whale,  and  he  backed  his  opinion  by  heavy  stakes, 
which  soon  found  ready  acceptance. 


WE   SIGHT   A   WRECK  27 

These  wagers,  amounting  to  several  hundred  dollars,  he 
lost  every  one;  in  fact,  the  waif  was  the  hull  of  a  ship;  the 
steamer  rapidjy  drew  near  it,  and  we  could  already  see  the 
rusty  copper  of  her  keel.  It  was  a  three-mast  ship  of  about 
five  or  six  hundred  tons,  deprived  of  hei  masts  and  rigging, 
and  lying  on  one  side,  with  broken  chains  hanging  from  her 
davits. 

"Had  this  steamship  been  abandoned  by  her  crew?" 
This  was  now  the  prevailing  question.  No  one  appeared 
on  the  deck,  but  perhaps  the  shipwrecked  ones  had  taken 
refuge  inside.  I  saw  an  object  moving  for  several  moments 
at  the  bows,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  only  the  remains  of  the 
jib  lashed  to  and  fro  by  the  wind. 

The  hull  was  quite  visible  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile; 
she  was  a  comparatively  new  ship,  and  in  a  perfect  state  of 
preservation;  her  cargo,  which  had  been  shifted  by  the 
wind,  obliged  her  to  lie  along  on  her  starboard  side. 

The  Great  Eastern  drew  nearer,  and,  passing  round,  gave 
notice  of  her  presence  by  several  shrill  whistles;  but  the 
waif  remained  silent,  and  unanimated;  nothing  was  to  be 
seen,  not  even  a  short-boat  from  the  wrecked  vessel  was 
visible  on  the  wide  expanse  of  water. 

The  crew  had  undoubtedly  had  time  to  leave  her,  but 
could  they  have  reached  land,  which  was  three  hundred 
miles  off.?  Could  a  frail  boat  live  on  a  sea  like  that  which 
had  rocked  the  Great  Eastern  so  frightfully?  And  when 
could  this  catastrophe  have  happened?  It  was  evident  that 
the  shipwreck  had  taken  place  farther  west,  for  the  wind 
and  waves  must  have  driven  the  hull  far  out  of  her  course. 
These  questions  were  destined  to  remain  unanswered. 

When  the  steamship  came  alongside  the  stern  of  the 
wreck,  I  could  read  distinctly  the  name  Lerida,  but  the  port 
she  belonged  to  was  not  given. 

A  merchant  vessel  or  a  man  of  war  would  have  had  no 
hesitation  in  manning  this  hull  which,  undoubtedly,  con- 
tained a  valuable  cargo,  but  as  the  Great  Eastern  was  on 
regular  service,  she  could  not  take  this  waif  in  tow  for  so 
many  hundreds  of  miles;  it  was  equally  impossible  to  re- 
turn and  take  it  to  the  nearest  port.  Therefore,  to  the 
great  regret  of  the  sailors,  it  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  it 
was  soon  a  mere  speck  in  the  distance.  The  group  of  pas- 
sengers dispersed,  some  to  the  saloons,  others  to  their  cab- 


28  A    FLOATING   CITY 

ins,  and  even  the  lunch  bell  failed  to  awaken  the  slumber- 
ers,  worn  out  by  sea-sickness.  About  noon  Captain 
Anderson  ordered  sail  to  be  hoisted,  so  that  the  ship,  better 
supported,  did  not  roll  so  much. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CHARACTERS  AMONG  THE  PASSENGERS 

In  spite  of  the  ship's  disorderly  conduct,  life  on  board 
was  becoming  organized,  for  which  the  Anglo-Saxon  noth- 
ing is  more  simple.  The  steamboat  is  his  street  and  his 
house  for  the  time  being;  the  Frenchman,  on  the  contrary, 
always  looks  like  a  traveler. 

When  the  weather  was  favorable,  the  boulevards  were 
thronged  with  promenaders,  who  managed  to  maintain  the 
perpendicular,  in  spite  of  the  ship's  motion,  but  with  the 
peculiar  gyrations  of  tipsy  men.  When  the  passengers 
did  not  go  on  deck,  they  remained  either  in  their  private 
sitting-rooms  or  in  the  grand  saloon,  and  then  began  the 
noisy  discords  of  pianos,  all  played  at  the  same  time,  which, 
however,  seemed  not  to  affect  Saxon  ears  in  the  least. 
Among  these  amateurs,  I  noticed  a  tall,  bony  woman,  who 
must  have  been  a  good  musician,  for,  in  order  to  facilitate 
reading  her  piece  of  music,  she  had  marked  all  the  notes 
with  a  number,  and  the  piano  keys  with  a  number  corre- 
sponding, so  that  if  it  was  note  twenty-seven  she  struck 
key  twenty-seven;  if  fifty-three,  key  fifty-three,  and  so  on, 
perfectly  indifferent  to  the  noise  around  her,  or  the  sound 
of  other  pianos  in  the  adjoining  saloons,  and  her  equanimity 
was  not  even  disturbed  when  some  disagreeable  little  chil- 
dren thumped  with  their  fists  on  the  unoccupied  keys. 

Whilst  this  concert  was  going  on,  a  bystander  would  care- 
lessly take  up  one  of  the  books  scattered  here  and  there  on 
the  tables,  and,  having  found  an  interesting  passage,  would 
read  it  aloud,  whilst  his  audience  listened  good  humoredly, 
and  complimented  him  with  a  flattering  murmur  of  applause. 
Newspapers  were  scattered  on  the  sofas,  generally  Amer- 
ican and  English,  which  always  look  old,  although  the  pages 
have  never  been  cut;  it  is  a  very  tiresome  operation  reading 
these  great  sheets,  which  take  up  so  much  room,  but  the 
fashion  being  to  leave  them  uncut,  so  they  remain.     One 


CHARACTERS   AMONG   THE   PASSENGERS  29 

day  I  had  the  patience  to  read  the  New  York  Herald  from 
beginning  to  end  under  these  circumstances,  and  judge  if 
I  was  rewarded  for  my  trouble  when  I  turned  to  the  column 

headed  "  Private  " ;  "  M.  X.  begs  the  pretty  Miss  Z , 

whom  he  met  yesterday  in  Twenty-fifth  Street  omnibus,  to 
come  to  him  to-morrow,  at  his  rooms.  No.  17,  St.  Nicholas 
Hotel;  he  wishes  to  speak  of  marriage  with  her."  What 
did  the  pretty  Miss  Z do?     I  don't  even  care  to  know. 

I  passed  the  whole  of  the  afternoon  in  the  grand  saloon 
talking,  and  observing  what  was  going  on  about  me.  Con- 
versation could  not  fail  to  be  interesting,  for  my  friend 
Dean  Pitferge  was  sitting  near  me. 

"  Have  you  quite  recovered  from  the  effects  of  your  tum- 
ble? "  I  asked  him. 

"  Perfectly,"  replied  he,  "  but  it's  no  go." 

"What  is  no  go?     You?" 

"  No,  our  steamship ;  the  screw  boilers  are  not  working 
ivvell;  we  cannot  get  enough  pressure." 

"You  are  anxious,  then,  to  get  to  New  York?" 

"  Not  in  the  least ;  I  speak  as  an  engineer,  that  is  all.  I 
am  very  comfortable  here,  and  shall  sincerely  regret  leaving 
this  collection  of  originals  which  chance  has  thrown  to- 
gether.    .     .     .     for  my  recreation," 

"  Originals ! "  cried  I,  looking  at  the  passengers  who 
crowded  the  saloon;  "but  all  those  people  are  very  much 
alike." 

"  Nonsense ! "  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  "  one  can  see  you 
have  hardly  looked  at  them;  the  species  is  the  same,  I  al- 
low, but  in  that  species  what  a  variety  there  is!  Just 
notice  that  group  of  men  down  there,  with  their  easy-going 
air,  their  legs  stretched  on  the  sofas,  and  hats  screwed  down 
on  their  heads.  They  are  Yankees,  pure  Yankees,  from 
the  small  states  of  Maine,  Vermont,  and  Connecticut,  the 
produce  of  New  England.  Energetic  and  intelligent  men, 
rather  too  much  influenced  by  *  the  Reverends,'  and  who 
have  the  disagreeable  fault  of  never  putting  their  hands 
before  their  mouths  when  they  sneeze.  Ah !  my  dear  sir, 
they  are  true  Saxons,  always  keenly  alive  to  a  bargain ;  put 
two  Yankees  in  a  room  together,  and  in  an  hour  they  will 
each  have  gained  ten  dollars  from  the  other." 

"  I  will  not  ask  how,"  replied  I,  smiling  at  the  Doctor, 
"but  among  them  I  see  a  little  man  with  a  consequential 


30  A   FLOATING   CITY 

air,  looking  like  a  weather-cock,  and  dressed  in  a  long  over- 
coat, with  rather  short  black  trousers, — who  is  that  gen- 
tleman?" 

"  He  is  a  Protestant  minister,  a  man  o£  *  importance '  in 
Alassachusetts,  where  he  is  going  to  join  his  wife,  an  ex- 
governess  advantageously  implicated  in  a  celebrated  law- 
suit." 

"  And  that  tall,  gloomy-looking  fellow,  who  seems  to  be 
absorbed  in  calculation  ?  " 

"  That  man  calculates :  in  fact,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  he  is 
forever  calculating." 

"Problems?" 

"No,  his  fortune;  he  is  a  man  of  *  importance';  at  any 
moment  he  knows  almost  to  a  farthing  what  he  is  worth; 
he  is  rich,  a  fourth  part  of  New  York  is  built  on  his  land; 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  ago  he  possessed  $1,625,367  and  a 
half,  but  now  he  has  only  $1,625,367  and  a  quarter." 

"  How  came  this  difference  in  his  fortune?  " 

"  Well !  he  has  just  smoked  a  quarter-dollar  cigar." 

Doctor  Dean  Pitferge  amused  me  with  his  clever  repar- 
tees, so  I  pointed  out  to  him  another  group  stowed  away  iri 
a  corner  of  the  saloon. 

"  They,"  said  he,  "  are  people  from  the  far  west,  tHei 
tallest,  who  looks  like  a  head  clerk,  is  a  man  of  '  importance," 
the  head  of  a  Chicago  bank,  he  always  carries  an  album 
under  his  arm,  with  the  principal  views  of  his  beloved  city. 
He  is,  and  has  reason  to  be,  proud  of  a  city  founded  in  a 
desert  in  1836,  which  at  the  present  day  has  a  population 
of  more  than  400,000  souls.  Near  him  you  see  a  Califor- 
nian  couple,  the  young  wife  is  delicate  and  charming,  her 
well-polished  husband  was  once  a  plow-boy,  who  one  fine 
day  turned  up  some  nuggets.     That  gentleman " 

"  Is  a  man  of  '  importance,'  "  said  I. 

"  Undoubtedly,"  repHed  the  Doctor,  "  for  his  assets  count 
by  the  million." 

"  And  pray,  who  may  this  tall  individual  be,  who  moves 
his  head  backwards  and  forwards  like  the  pendulum  of  a 
clock?" 

"  That  person,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "  is  the  celebrated 
Cockburn  of  Rochester,  the  universal  statistician,  who  has 
weighed,  measured,  proportioned,  and  calculated  every- 
thing.    Question  this  harmless  maniac,  he  will  tell  you  howi 


CHARACTERS    AMONG   THE    PASSENGERS  31 

much  bread  a  man  of  fifty  has  eaten  in  his  life,  and  how 
many  cubic  feet  of  air  he  has  breathed.  He  will  tell  you 
how  many  volumes  in  quarto  the  words  of  a  Temple  law- 
yer would  fill,  and  how  many  miles  the  postman  goes  daily 
carrying  nothing  but  love  letters;  he  will  tell  you  the  number 
of  widows  who  pass  in  one  hour  over  London  Bridge,  and 
what  would  be  the  height  of  a  pile  of  sandwiches  consumed 
by  the  citizens  of  the  Union  in  a  year;  he  will  tell  you " 

The  Doctor,  in  his  excitement,  would  have  continued  for 
a  long  time  in  this  strain,  but  other  passengers  passing  us 
were  attracted  by  the  inexhaustible  stock  of  his  original 
remarks.  What  different  characters  there  w^ere  in  this 
crowd  of  passengers!  not  one  idler,  however,  for  one  does 
not  go  from  one  continent  to  the  other  without  some  serious 
motive.  The  most  part  of  them  were  undoubtedly  going  to 
seek  their  fortunes  on  American  ground,  forgetting  that 
at  twenty  years  of  age  a  Yankee  has  made  his  fortune,  and 
that  at  twenty-five  he  is  already  too  old  to  begin  the  struggle. 

Among  these  adventurers,  inventors,  and  fortune  hunt- 
ers, Dean  Pitferge  pointed  out  to  me  some  singularly  inter- 
esting characters.  Here  was  a  chemist,  a  rival  of  Dr. 
Liebig,  who  pretended  to  have  discovered  the  art  of  con- 
densing all  the  nutritious  parts  of  a  cow  into  a  meat-tablet, 
no  larger  than  a  five-shilling  piece.  He  was  going  to  coin 
money  out  of  the  cattle  of  the  Pampas.  Another,  the  in- 
ventor of  a  portable  motive  power — a  steam  horse  in  a 
watch  case — was  going  to  exhibit  his  patent  in  New  Eng- 
land. Another,  a  Frenchman  from  the  "  Rue  Chapon," 
was  carrying  to  America  30,000  cardboard  dolls,  which  said 
"  papa  "  with  a  very  successful  Yankee  accent,  and  he  had 
no  doubt  but  that  his  fortune  was  made. 

But  besides  these  originals,  there  were  still  others  whose 
secrets  we  could  not  guess ;  perhaps  among  them  was  some 
cashier  flying  from  his  empty  cash  box,  and  a  detective 
making  friends  with  him,  only  waiting  for  the  ^nd  of  the 
passage  to  take  him  by  the  collar;  perhaps  also  we  might 
have  found  in  this  crowd  clever  genii,  who  always  find  peo- 
ple ready  to  believe  in  them,  even  when  they  advocate  the 
affairs  of  "The  Oceanic  Company  for  lighting  Polynesia 
with  gas,"  or  "  The  Royal  Society  for  making  incombus- 
tible coal." 

But  at  this  moment  my  attention  was  attracted  by  the 


3^  A   FLOATING  CITY 

entrance  of  a  young  couple  who  seemed  to  be  under  the  in- 
fluence of  a  precocious  weariness. 

"  They  are  Peruvians,  my  dear  sir,"  said  the  Doctor,  **  a 
couple  married  a  year  ago,  who  have  been  to  all  parts  of 
the  world  for  their  honeymoon.  They  adored  each  other 
in  Japan,  loved  in  Australia,  bore  with  one  another  in 
India,  bored  each  other  in  France,  quarreled  in  England,  and 
iwill  undoubtedly  separate  in  America." 

"  And,"  said  I,  "  who  is  that  tall,  haughty-looking  man 
just  coming  in  ?  from  his  appearance  I  should  take  him  for 
an  officer." 

**  He  is  a  Mormon,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  an  elder,  Mr. 
Hatch,  one  of  the  great  preachers  in  the  city  of  Saints. 
What  a  fine  type  of  manhood  he  is!  Look  at  his  proud 
eye,  his  noble  countenance,  and  dignified  bearing,  so  dif- 
ferent from  the  Yankee.  Mr.  Hatch  is  returning  from 
Germany  and  England,  where  he  has  preached  Mormonism 
with  great  success,  for  there  are  numbers  of  this  sect  in 
Europe,  who  are  allowed  to  conform  to  the  laws  of  their 
country." 

"  Indeed ! "  said  I ;  "I  quite  thought  that  polygamy  was 
forbidden  them  in  Europe." 

"  Undoubtedly,  my  dear  sir,  but  do  not  think  that  polyg- 
amy is  obligatory  on  Mormons;  Brigham  Young  has  his 
harem,  because  it  suits  him,  but  all  his  followers  do  not 
imitate  him,  not  even  those  dwelHng  on  the  banks  of  the 
Salt  Lake." 

"Indeed!  and  Mr.  Hatch?" 

"  Mr.  Hatch  has  only  one  wife,  and  he  finds  that  quite 
enough;  besides,  he  proposes  to  explain  his  system  in  a 
meeting  that  he  will  hold  one  of  these  evenings." 

"  The  saloon  will  be  filled." 

"  Yes,"  said  Pitferge,  "  if  the  gambling  does  not  attract 
too  many  of  the  audience;  you  know  that  they  play  in  a 
room  at  the  bows?  There  is  an  Englishman  there  with  an 
evil,  disagreeable  face,  who  seems  to  take  the  lead  among 
them,  he  is  a  bad  man,  with  a  detestable  reputation.  Have 
you  noticed  him?" 

From  the  Doctor's  description,  I  had  no  doubt  but  that 
he  vvas  the  same  man  who  that  morning  had  made  himself 
conspicuous  by  his  foolish  wagers  with  regard  to  the  waif. 
j\ly  opinion  of  him  was  not  wrong.     Dean  Pitferge  told 

V.  VII  Vsrn» 


CHARACTERS  AMONG  THE  PASSENGERS  z^ 

me  his  name  was  Harry  Drake,  and  that  he  was  the  son  of 
a  merchant  at  Calcutta,  a  gambler,  a  dissolute  character,  a 
duelist,  and  now  that  he  was  almost  ruined,  he  was  most 
likely  going  to  America  to  try  a  life  of  adventures.  "  Such 
people,"  added  the  Doctor,  "  always  find  followers  willing  to 
flatter  them,  and  this  fellow  has  already  formed  his  circle 
of  scamps,  of  which  he  is  the  center.  Among  them  I  have 
noticed  a  little  short  man,  with  a  round  face,  a  turned-up 
nose,  wearing  gold  spectacles,  and  having  the  appearance 
of  a  German  Jew;  he  calls  himself  a  doctor,  on  the  way  to 
Quebec;  but  I  take  him  for  a  low  actor  and  one  of  Drake's 
admirers." 

At  this  moment  Dean  Pitferge,  who  easily  skipped  from 
one  subject  to  another,  nudged  my  elbow.  I  turned  my 
head  towards  the  saloon  door;  a  young  man  about  twenty- 
eight,  and  a  girl  of  seventeen,  were  coming  in  arm  in  arm. 

"  A  newly-married  pair?  "  asked  I. 

"  No,"  replied  the  Doctor,  in  a  softened  tone,  "  an  engaged 
couple,  who  are  only  waiting  for  their  arrival  in  New  York 
to  get  married;  they  have  just  made  the  tour  of  Europe,  of 
course  with  their  family's  consent,  and  they  know  now  that 
they  are  made  for  one  another.  Nice  young  people ;  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  look  at  them.  I  often  see  them  leaning  over 
the  railings  of  the  engine-rooms,  counting  the  turns  of  the 
wheels,  which  do  not  go  half  fast  enough  for  their  liking. 
Ah!  sir,  if  our  boilers  were  heated  like  those  two  youthful 
hearts,  see  how  our  speed  would  increase!" 


CHAPTER  X 

A  HOPELESS  DISEASE 

This  day,  at  half-past  twelve,  a  steersman  posted  up  on 
the  grand  saloon  door  the  following  observations:  Lat.  51° 
15'  N.,  Long.  18°  13'  W.,  Dist. :  Fastenet,  323  miles. 

This  signifies  that  at  noon  we  were  three  hundred  and 
twenty-three  miles  from  the  Fastenet  lighthouse,  the  last 
which  we  had  passed  on  the  Irish  coast,  and  at  51°  15'  north 
latitude,  and  18°  13'  west  longitude,  from  the  meridian  of 
Greenwich.  It  was  the  ship's  bearing,  which  the  captain  thus 
made  known  to  the  passengers  every  day.  By  consulting 
this  bearing,  and  referring  it  to  a  chart,  the  course  of  tlie 


34  :a^  floating  city 

Great  Eastern  might  be  followed.  Up  to  this  time  s\i&. 
had  only  made  three  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  thirty- 
six  hours,  it  was  not  satisfactory,  for  a  steamer  at  its  ordi- 
nary speed  does  not  go  less  than  three  hundred  miles  in 
twenty- four  hours. 

After  having  left  the  Doctor,  I  spent  the  rest  of  the  day 
with  Fabian;  we  had  gone  to  the  stern,  which  Pitferge  called 
"  walking  in  the  country."  There  alone,  and  leaning  over 
the  taffrail,  we  surveyed  the  great  expanse  of  water,  while 
around  us  rose  the  briny  vapors  distilled  from  the  spray; 
small  rainbows,  formed  by  the  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays, 
spanned  the  foaming  waves.  Below  tis,  at  a  distance  of 
forty  feet,  the  screw  was  beating  the  water  with  a  tremen- 
dous force,  making  its  copper  gleam  in  the  midst  of  what  ap- 
peared to  be  a  vast  conglomeration  of  liquefied  emeralds,  the 
fleecy  track  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  mingled 
in  a  milky  path  of  foam  from  the  screw,  and  the  paddle 
engines,  whilst  the  white  and  black  fringed  plumage  of  the 
sea-gulls  flying  above,  cast  rapid  shadows  over  the  sea. 

Fabian  was  looking  at  the  magic  of  the  waves  without 
speaking.  What  did  he  see  in  this  liquid  mirror,  whicli 
gave  scope  to  the  most  capricious  flights  of  imagination? 
Was  some  vanished  face  passing  before  his  eyes,  and! 
bidding  him  a  last  farewell?  Did  he  see  a  drowning 
shadow  in  these  eddying  waters  ?  He  seemed  to  me  sadder 
than  usual,  and  I  dared  not  ask  him  the  cause  of  his 
grief. 

After  the  long  separation  which  had  estranged  us  from 
each  other,  it  was  for  him  to  confide  in  me,  and  for  me  t6, 
await  his  confidences.  He  had  told  me  as  much  of  his  past 
life  as  he  wished  me  to  know;  his  life  in  the  Indian  garrison, 
his  hunting,  and  adventures ;  but  not  a  word  had  he  said  of 
the  emotions  which  swelled  in  his  heart,  or  the  cause  of  the 
sighs  which  heaved  his  breast;  undoubtedly  Fabian  was 
not  one  who  tried  to  lessen  his  grief  by  speaking  of  it,  and' 
therefore  he  suffered  the  more. 

Thus  we  remained  leaning  over  the  sea,  and  as  I  turned 
my  head  I  saw  the  great  paddles  emerging  under  the  regular 
action  of  the  engine. 

Once  Fabian  said  to  me,  "  This  track  is  indeed  magnifi- 
cent. One  would  think  that  the  waves  were  amusing  them- 
selves with  tracing  letters !     Look  at  the  *  I's  '  and  '  e's.* 


A   HOPELESS   DISEASE  35 

Am  I  deceived?  No,  they  are  Indeed  always  the  same 
letters." 

Fabian's  excited  imagination  saw  in  these  eddyings  that 
which  it  wished  to  see.  But  what  could  these  letters 
signify?  What  remembrance  did  they  call  forth  in  Fabian's 
mind?  The  latter  had  resumed  his  silent  contemplation, 
when  suddenly  he  said  to  me ;  "  Come  to  me,  come ;  that 
gulf  will  draw  me  in! " 

"  What  is  the  matter  witK  you,  Fabian,"  said  I,  taking 
him  by  both  hands;  "  what  is  the  matter,  my  friend?  " 

"  I  have  here,"  said  he,  pressing  his  hand  on  his  heart. 
"  I  have  here  a  disease  which  will  kill  me." 

"A  disease?  "  said  I  to  him,  "a  disease  with  no  hope  of 
cure  ?  " 

"  No  hope."  And  without  another  word  Fabian  went  to 
the  saloon,  and  then  on  to  his  cabin. 


CHAPTER   XI 

I  HEAR  THE  STORY  OF  FABIAN's  TROUBLE 

The  next  day,  Saturday,  30th  of  March,  the  weather  was 
fine;  our  progress  was  more  rapid,  and  the  Great  Eastern 
was  now  going  at  the  rate  of  twelve  knots  an  hour. 

The  wind  had  set  south,  and  the  first  officer  ordered  the 
mizzen  and  the  top-mast  sails  to  be  hoisted,  so  that  the  ship 
was  perfectly  steady.  Under  this  fine  sunny  sky  the  upper 
decks  again  became  crowded;  ladies  appeared  in  fresh  cos- 
tumes, some  walking  about,  others  sitting  down — I  was 
going  to  say  on  the  grass-plats  beneath  the  shady  trees—* 
and  the  children  resumed  their  interrupted  games.  With 
a  few  soldiers  in  uniform,  strutting  about  with  their  hands 
in  their  pockets,  one  might  have  fancied  oneself  on  a  French 
promenade. 

At  noon,  the  weather  being  favorable,  Captain  Anderson 
and  two  officers  went  onto  the  bridge,  in  order  to  take  the 
sun's  altitude;  each  held  a  sextant  in  his  hand,  and  from 
time  to  time  scanned  the  southern  horizon,  towards  which 
their  horizon-glasses  were  inclined. 

"  Noon,"  exclaimed  Captain  Anderson,  after  a  short 
time. 

Immediately  a  steersman  rang  a  bell  on  the  bridge,  and 


?,6  A   FLOATING   CITY 


\j 


all  the  watches  on  board  were  regulated  by  the  statement 
which  had  just  been  made. 

Half-an-hour  later,  the  following  observation  was  posted 
tip.  Lat  51°  10'  N.,  Long.  24°  13'  W.,  Course,  22y  miles. 
Distance  550. 

We  had  thus  made  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  miles 
since  noon  the  day  before. 

I  did  not  see  Fabian  once  during  the  day.  Several  times, 
uneasy  about  his  absence,  I  passed  his  cabin,  and  was  con- 
vinced that  he  had  not  left  it.  He  must  have  wished  to 
avoid  the  crowd  on  deck,  and  evidently  sought  to  isolate 
himself  from  this  tumult.  I  met  Captain  Corsican,  and  for 
an  hour  we  walked  on  the  poop.  He  often  spoke  of 
Fabian,  and  I  could  not  help  telling  him  what  had  passed 
between  Fabian  and  myself  the  evening  before. 

"  Yes,"  said  Captain  Corsican,  with  an  emotion  he  did  not 
try  to  disguise.  "  Two  years  ago  Fabian  had  the  right  to 
think  himself  the  happiest  of  men,  and  now  he  is  the  most 
unhappy."  Archibald  Corsican  told  me,  in  a  few  words, 
that  at  Bombay  Fabian  had  known  a  charming  young  girl, 
a  Miss  Hodges.  He  loved  her,  and  was  beloved  by  her. 
Nothing  seemed  to  hinder  a  marriage  between  Miss  Hodges 
and  Captain  MacElwin;  when,  by  her  father's  consent,  the 
young  girl's  hand  was  sought  by  the  son  of  a  merchant  at 
Calcutta.  It  was  an  old  business  affair,  and  Hodges,  a 
harsh,  obstinate,  and  unfeeling  man,  who  happened  at  this 
time  to  be  in  a  delicate  position  with  his  Calcutta  corre- 
spondent, thinking  that  the  marriage  would  settle  every- 
thing well,  sacrificed  his  daughter  to  the  interests  of  his 
fortune.  The  poor  child  could  not  resist;  they  put  her 
hand  into  that  of  the  man  she  did  not  and  could  not  love, 
and  who,  from  all  appearance,  had  no  love  for  her.  It 
was  a  mere  business  transaction,  and  a  barbarous  deed. 
The  husband  carried  off  his  wife  the  day  after  they  were 
married,  and  since  then  Fabian  has  never  seen  her  whom  he 
has  always  loved.  This  story  showed  me  clearly  that  the 
grief  which  seemed  to  oppress  Fabian  was  indeed  serious. 

"  What  was  the  young  girl's  name? "  asked  I  of  Captain 
Corsican. 

"  Ellen  Hodges,"  replied  he. 

"  Ellen, — that  name  explains  the  letters  which  Fabian 
thought  he  saw  yesterday  in  the  ship's  track.     And  what 


THE   STORY   OF   FABIAN'S   TROUBLE      ^-j 

is  the  name  of  this  poor  young  woman's  husband?  "  said  I 
to  the  Captain. 

"  Harry  Drake." 

"  Drake !  "  cried  I,  "  but  that  man  is  on  board." 

**  He  here ! "  exclaimed  Corsican,  seizing  my  hand,  and 
looking  straight  at  me. 

"  Yes,"  I  rephed,  "  he  is  on  board." 

"  Heaven  grant  that  they  may  not  meet !  "  said  the  cap- 
tain gravely.  "  Happily  they  do  not  know  each  other,  at 
least  Fabian  does  not  know  Drake;  but  that  name  uttered 
in  his  hearing  would  be  enough  to  cause  an  outburst." 

I  then  related  to  Captain  Corsican  what  I  knew  of  Harry 
Drake,  that  is  to  say,  what  Dr.  Dean  Pitferge  had  told  me 
of  him.  I  described  him  such  as  he  was,  an  insolent,  noisy 
adventurer,  already  ruined  by  gambling,  and  other  vices, 
and  ready  to  do  anything  to  get  money;  at  this  moment 
Harry  Drake  passed  close  to  us;  I  pointed  him  out  to  the 
captain,  whose  eyes  suddenly  grew  animated,  and  he  made 
an  angry  gesture,  which  I  arrested. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "there  is  the  face  of  a  villain.  But 
where  is  he  going.?  " 

"  To  America,  they  say,  to  try  and  get  by  chance  what 
he  does  not  care  to  work  for." 

"Poor  Ellen!"  murmured  the  captain;  "where  is  she 
now?" 

"  Perhaps  this  wretch  has  abandoned  her,  or  why  should 
she  not  be  on  board?  "  said  Corsican,  looking  at  me. 

This  idea  crossed  my  mind  for  the  first  time,  but  I  re- 
jected it.  No;  Ellen  was  not,  could  not  be  on  board;  she 
could  not  have  escaped  Dr.  Pitferge's  inquisitive  eye.  No! 
she  cannot  have  accompanied  Drake  on  this  voyage! 

"  May  what  you  say  be  true,  sir ! "  replied  Captain  Cor- 
sican; "  for  the  sight  of  that  poor  victim  reduced  to  so 
much  misery  would  be  a  terrible  blow  to  Fabian :  I  do  not 
know  what  would  happen,  for  Fabian  is  a  man  who  would 
kill  Drake  like  a  dog.  I  ask  you,  as  a  proof  of  your  friend- 
ship, never  to  lose  sight  of  him;  so  that  if  anything  should 
happen,  one  of  us  may  be  near,  to  throw  ourselves  between 
him  and  his  enemy.  You  understand  a  duel  must  not  take 
place  between  these  two  men.  Neither  here  nor  elsewhere. 
A  woman  cannot  marry  her  husband's  murderer,  however 
unworthy  that  husband  may  have  been." 


38  A    FLOATING   CITY 

I  well  understood  Captain  Corsican's  reason.  Fabian 
could  not  be  his  own  justiciary.  It  was  foreseeing,  from  a 
distance,  coming  events,  but  how  is  it  that  the  uncertainty 
of  human  things  is  so  little  taken  into  account?  A  pre- 
sentiment was  boding  in  my  mind.  Could  it  be  possible, 
that  in  this  common  life  on  board,  in  this  e very-day  min- 
gling together,  that  Drake's  noisy  personality  could  remain 
unnoticed  by  Fabian?  An  accident,  a  trifle,  a  mere  name 
uttered,  would  it  not  bring  them  face  to  face?  Ah!  how 
I  longed  to  hasten  the  speed  of  the  steamer  which  carried 
them  both!  Before  leaving  Captain  Corsican  I  promised 
to  keep  a  watch  on  our  friend,  and  to  observe  Drake,  whom 
on  his  part  he  engaged  not  to  lose  sight  of;  then  he  shook 
my  hand,  and  we  parted. 

Towards  evening  a  dense  mist  swept  over  the  ocean,  and 
the  darkness  was  intense.  The  brilliantly-lighted  saloons 
contrasted  singularly  with  the  blackness  of  the  night. 
Waltzes  and  ballads  followed  each  other;  all  received  with 
frantic  applause,  and  even  hurrahs  were  not  wanting,  when 

the  actor  from  T ,  sitting  at  the  piano,  bawled  his  songs 

with  the  self-possession  of  a  strolling  player. 


CHAPTER  XII 

SERVICES  ON   BOARD 

The  next  day,  the  31st  of  March,  was  Sunday.  How 
would  this  day  be  kept  on  board?  Would  it  be  the  Eng- 
lish or  American  Sunday,  which  closes  the  "  bars  "  and 
the  "  taps "  during  service  hours ;  which  withholds  the 
butcher's  hand  from  his  victim;  which  keeps  the  baker's 
shovel  from  the  oven;  which  causes  a  suspension  of  busi- 
ness; extinguishes  the  fires  of  the  manufactories;  whicH 
closes  the  shops,  opens  the  churches,  and  moderates  the 
speed  of  the  railway  trains,  contrary  to  the  customs  ini 
France?     Yes,  it  must  be  kept  thus,  or  almost  thus. 

First  of  all,  during  the  service,  although  the  weather  was 
fine,  and  we  might  have  gained  some  knots,  the  captain 
did  not  order  the  sails  to  be  hoisted,  as  it  would  have  been 
"  improper."  I  thought  myself  very  fortunate  that  the 
screw  was  allowed  to  continue  its  work,  and  when  I  in- 
quired of  a  fierce  Puritan  the  reason  for  this  tolerance. 


SERVICES    ON    BOARD  39 

"  Sir,'"  said  he  to  me,  "  that  which  comes  directly  from  God 
must  be  respected;  the  wind  is  in  His  hand,  the  steam  is 
in  the  power  of  man." 

I  was  wilhng  to  content  myself  with  this  reason,  and  in 
the  meantime  observed  what  was  going  on  on  board.  All 
the  crew  were  in  full  uniform,  and  dressed  with  extreme 
propriety.  I  should  not  have  been  surprised  to  see  the 
stokers  working  in  black  clothes ;  the  officers  and  engineers 
wore  their  finest  uniforms,  with  gilt  buttons;  their  shoes 
shone  with  a  British  luster,  and  rivaled  their  glazed  hats 
with  an  intense  irradiation.  All  these  good  people  seemed 
to  have  hats  and  boots  of  a  dazzling  brightness.  The  cap- 
tain and  the  first  officer  set  the  example,  and  with  new; 
gloves  and  military  attire,  glittering  and  perfumed,  they 
paced  up  and  down  the  bridges  awaiting  the  hour  for  ser- 
vice. 

The  sea  was  magnificent  and  resplendent  beneath  the 
first  rays  of  a  spring  sun;  not  a  sail  in  sight.  The  Great 
Eastern  occupied  alone  the  center  of  the  immense  expanse. 
At  ten  o'clock  the  bell  on  deck  tolled  slowly  and  at  regular 
intervals;  the  ringer,  who  was  a  steersman,  dressed  in  his 
best,  managed  to  obtain  from  this  bell  a  kind  of  solemn, 
religious  tone,  instead  of  the  metallic  peals  with  which  it 
accompanied  the  whistling  of  the  boilers,  when  the  ship 
was  surrounded  by  fog.  Involuntarily  one  looked  for  the 
village  steeple  which  was  calling  to  prayer. 

At  this  moment  numerous  groups  appeared  at  the  doors 
of  the  cabins,  at  the  bows  and  stern;  the  boulevards  were 
soon  filled  with  men,  women,  and  children  carefully  dressed 
for  the  occasion.  Friends  exchanged  quiet  greetings; 
everyone  held  a  prayer-book  in  his  hand,  and  all  were 
waiting  for  the  last  bell  which  would  announce  the  begin- 
ning of  service.  I  saw  also  piles  of  Bibles,  which  were  to 
be  distributed  in  the  church,  heaped  upon  trays  generally 
uesd  for  sandwiches. 

The  church  was  the  great  saloon,  formed  by  the  upper- 
deck  at  the  stern,  the  exterior  of  which,  from  its  width  and 
regularity  of  structure,  reminded  one  very  much  of  the 
hotel  of  the  Ministere  des  Finances,  in  the  Rue  de  Rivoli. 
I  entered.  Numbers  of  the  faithful  were  already  in  their 
places.  A  profound  silence  reigned  among  the  congrega- 
tion; the  officers  occupied  the  apsis  of  the  church,  and,  in 


40  A    FLOATING   CITY 

the  midst  of  them,  stood  Captain  Anderson,  as  pastor. 
My  friend  Dean  Pitferge  was  near  him,  his  quick  Httle  eyes 
running  over  the  whole  assembly.  I  will  venture  to  say  he 
was  there  more  out  of  curiosity  than  anything  else. 

At  half-past  ten  the  captain  rose,  and  the  service  began; 
he  read  a  chapter  from  the  Old  Testament.  After  each 
verse  the  congregation  murmured  the  one  following;  the 
shrill  soprano  voices  of  the  women  and  children  distinctly 
separate  from  the  baritone  of  the  men.  This  Biblical 
dialogue  lasted  for  about  haf-an-hour,  and  the  simple,  at 
the  same  time  impressive  ceremony,  was  performed  with  a 
puritanical  gravity.  Captain  Anderson  assuming  the  office 
of  pastor  on  board,  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  ocean,  and 
speaking  to  a  crowd  of  listeners,  hanging,  as  it  were,  over 
the  verge  of  an  abyss,  claimed  the  respect  and  attention  of 
the  most  indifferent.  It  would  have  been  well  if  the  ser- 
vice had  concluded  with  the  reading;  but  when  the  captain 
had  finished  a  speaker  arose,  who  could  not  fail  to  arouse 
feelings  of  violence  and  rebellion  where  tolerance  and 
meditation  should  reign. 

It  was  the  reverend  gentleman  of  whom  I  have  before 
spoken — a  little,  fidgety  man,  an  intriguing  Yankee;  one  of 
those  ministers  who  exercise  such  a  powerful  influence  over 
the  States  of  New  England.  His  sermon  was  already  pre- 
pared, the  occasion  was  good,  and  he  intended  to  make  use 
of  it.  Woud  not  the  good  Yorrick  have  done  the  same? 
I  looked  at  Dean  Pitferge;  the  Doctor  did  not  frown,  but 
seemed  inclined  to  try  the  preacher's  zeal. 

The  latter  gravely  buttoned  his  black  overcoat,  placed 
his  silk  cap  on  the  table,  drew  out  his  handkerchief,  with 
which  he  touched  his  lips  lightly,  and  taking  in  the  assembly 
at  a  glance,  "  In  the  beginning,"  said  he,  "  God  created 
America,  and  rested  on  the  seventh  day — — =" 

Thereupon  I  reached  the  door. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

DR.    PITFERGE  TELLS   OF  THE  GHOST 

At  lunch  Dean  Pitferge  told  me  that  the  reverend  gentle- 
man had  admirably  enlarged  on  his  text.  Battering  rams, 
armed  forts,  and  submarine  torpedoes  had  figured  in  his 


DR.   PITFERGE  TELLS  OF  THE  GHOST    411 

discourse;  as  for  himself,  he  was  made  great  by  the  great- 
ness of  America.  If  it  pleases  America  to  be  thus  ex- 
tolled, I  have  nothing  to  say. 

Entering  the  grand  saloon,  I  read  the  following  note, 
Lat.  50°  8'  N.,  Long.  30°  44'  W.     Course,  255  miles. 

Always  the  same  result.  We  had  only  made  eleven  hun- 
dred miles,  including  the  three  hundred  and  ten  between 
Fastenet  and  Liverpool,  about  a  third  part  of  our  voyage. 
During  the  remainder  of  the  day  officers,  sailors,  and  pas- 
sengers continued  to  rest  in  accordance  with  established 
custom.  Not  a  piano  sounded  in  the  silent  saloons;  the 
chess-men  did  not  leave  their  box,  or  the  cards  their  case; 
the  billiard-room  was  deserted.  I  had  an  opportunity  this 
day  to  introduce  Dean  Pitferge  to  Captain  Coriscan.  My 
original  friend  very  much  amused  the  captain  by  telling  him 
the  stories  whispered  about  the  Great  Eastern.  He  attempted 
to  prove  to  him  that  it  was  a  bewitched  ship,  to  which  fatal 
misfortune  must  happen.  The  yarn  of  the  melted  engineer 
greatly  pleased  the  captain,  who,  being  a  Scotchman,  was 
a  lover  of  the  marvelous,  but  he  could  not  repress  an  in- 
credulous smile. 

"I  see,"  said  Dr.  Pitferge,  "the  captain  has  not  much 
faith  in  my  stories." 

"  Much !  that  is  saying  a  great  deal,"  replied  Captain 
Corsican. 

"  Will  you  believe  me,  captain,  if  I  affirm  that  this  ship 
is  haunted  at  night.?"  asked  the  Doctor,  in  a  serious  tone. 

"Haunted!"  cried  the  captain;  "what  next?  Ghosts.? 
and  you  believe  in  them?  " 

"  I  believe,"  replied  Pitferge,  "  I  believe  what  people  who 
can  be  depended  on  have  told  me.  Now,  I  know  some  of 
the  officers  on  watch,  and  the  sailors  also,  are  quite  unan- 
imous on  this  point,  that  during  the  darkness  of  the  night 
a  shadow,  a  vague  form,  walks  the  ship.  How  it  comes 
there  they  do  not  know,  neither  do  they  know  how  it  dis- 
appe?rs." 

"  By  St.  Dunstan !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Corsican,  "  we 
will  watch  it  well  together." 

"  To-night?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"  To-niglit,  if  you  like;  and  you,  sir,"  added  the  captain, 
turning  to  me,  "  will  you  keep  us  company?  " 

"  No,"  said  I;  "I  do  not  wish  to  trouble  the  solitude  of 


42  A    FLOATING   CITY 

this  phantom;  besides,  I  would  rather  think  that  our  Doc- 
tor is  joking." 

"  I  am  not  joking,"  replied  the  obstinate  Pitferge. 

"  Come,  Doctor,"  said  I.  "  Do  you  really  believe  in  the 
dead  coming  back  to  the  decks  of  ships?  " 

"  I  believe  in  the  dead  who  come  to  life  again,"  replied 
the  Doctor,  **  and  this  is  the  more  astonishing  as  I  am  a 
physician." 

"A  physician!"  cried  the  captain,  drawing  back  as  if 
the  word  had  made  him  uneasy. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  captain,"  said  the  Doctor  smiling, 
good-humoredly ;  "I  don't  practice  while  traveling." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  GHOST  FAILS  TO  APPEAR 

The  next  day,  the  ist  of  April,  the  aspect  of  the  sea  was 
truly  spring-like;  it  was  as  green  as  the  meadows  beneath 
the  sun's  rays.  The  April  sunrise  on  the  Atlantic  was 
superb;  the  waves  spread  themselves  out  voluptuously, 
while  porpoises  gamboled  in  the  ship's  milky  track. 

When  I  met  Captain  Corsican,  he  informed  me  that  the 
ghost  announced  by  the  Doctor  had  not  thought  proper  to 
make  its  appearance.  Undoubtedly,  the  night  was  not  dark 
enough  for  it.  Then  the  idea  crossed  my  mind  that  it  was 
a  joke  of  Dean  Pitferge's,  sanctioned  by  the  ist  of  April; 
for  in  America,  England,  and  France  this  custom  is  very 
popular.  Mystifiers  and  mystified  were  not  wanting;  some 
laughed,  others  were  angry ;  I  even  believe  that  blows  were 
exchanged  among  some  of  the  Saxons,  but  these  blows 
never  ended  in  fighting;  for  it  is  well  known  that  in  England 
duels  are  liable  to  very  severe  punishment;  even  officers 
and  soldiers  are  not  allowed  to  fight  under  any  pretext 
whatever.  The  homicide  is  subject  to  the  most  painful 
and  ignominious  punishments.  I  remember  the  Doctor 
telling  me  the  name  of  an  officer  who  was  sent  to  a  convict 
prison,  for  ten  years,  for  having  mortally  wounded  his  ad- 
versary in  a  very  honorable  engagement.  One  can  under- 
stand, that  in  face  of  this  severe  law  duels  have  entirely  dis- 
appeared from  British  customs. 

The  weather  being  so  fine,  a  good  observation  could  be 


THE    GHOST    FAILS    TO    APPEAR  43 

made,  which  resulted  in  the  following  statement:  Lat.  48° 
47',  and  36°  48'  W.  L. ;  dist.,  250  miles  only.  The  slowest 
of  the  Transatlantic  steamers  would  have  had  the  right  to 
offer  to  take  us  in  tow.  This  state  of  things  very- 
much  annoyed  Captain  Anderson.  The  engineers  at- 
tributed the  failure  of  pressure  to  the  insufificient  ventila- 
tion of  the  new  furnaces;  but  for  my  part,  I  thought  that 
the  diminution  of  speed  was  owing  to  the  diameter  of  the 
wheels  having  been  imprudently  made  smaller. 

However,  to-day,  about  two  o'clock,  there  was  an  im- 
provement in  the  ship's  speed;  it  was  the  attitude  of  the 
two  young  lovers  which  revealed  this  change  to  me.  Lean- 
ing against  the  bulwarks,  they  murmured  joyful  words, 
clapped  their  hands,  and  looked  smilingly  at  the  escape- 
pipes,  which  were  placed  near  the  chimneys,  the  apertures 
of  which  were  crowned  with  a  white  wreath  of  vapor. 
The  pressure  had  risen  in  the  screw  boilers;  as  yet  it  was 
only  a  feeble  breath  of  air,  a  wavering  blast;  but  our  young 
friends  drank  it  in  eagerly  with  their  eyes.  No,  not  even 
Denis  Papin  could  have  been  more  delighted,  when  he  saw 
the  steam  half  raise  the  lid  of  his  celebrated  saucepan. 

"  They  smoke !  they  smoke !  "  cried  the  young  lady,  whilst 
a  light  breath  also  escaped  from  her  parted  lips. 

"  Let  us  go  and  look  at  the  engine,"  said  the  young  man, 
placing  her  arm  in  his.  Dean  Pitferge  had  joined  me,  and 
we  followed  the  loving  couple  onto  the  upper-deck. 

"How  beautiful  is  youth!"  remarked  the  Doctor. 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  youth  affianced." 

Soon  we  also  were  leaning  over  the  railing  of  the  engine- 
rooms.  There,  in  the  deep  abyss,  at  a  distance  of  sixty  feet 
below  us,  we  saw  the  four  long  horizontal  pistons  swaying 
one  towards  the  other,  and  with  each  movement  moistened 
by  drops  of  lubricating  oil. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  young  man  had  taken  out  his 
watch,  and  the  girl,  leaning  over  his  shoulder,  followed  the 
movement  of  the  minute-hand,  whilst  her  lover  counted 
the  revolutions  of  the  screw.     "  One  minute,"  said  she. 

"  Thirty-seven  turns,"  exclaimed  the  young  man. 

"Thirty-seven  and  a  half."  observed  the  Doctor. 

"  And  a  half,"  cried  the  young  lady.  "  You  hear,  Ed- 
ward! Thank  you,  sir,"  said  she,  favoring  the  worthy 
Pitferge  with  one  of  her  most  pleasing  smiles. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A   COLLISION   IS   NARROWLY  AVOIDED 

During  Monday  night  the  sea  was  very  stormy.  Once 
more  the  partitions  began  creaking,  and  again  the  luggage 
made  its  way  through  the  saloons.  When  I  went  on  deck, 
about  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  wind  had  freshened, 
and  it  was  raining.  The  officer  on  watch  had  ordered  the 
sails  to  be  taken  in,  so  that  the  steamship,  left  without  any 
support,  rolled  dreadfully.  All  this  day,  the  2nd  of  April, 
the  deck  was  deserted,  even  the  saloons  were  empty,  for 
the  passengers  had  taken  refuge  in  their  cabins;  and  two- 
thirds  of  the  guests  were  missing  at  lunch  and  dinner. 
Whist  was  impossible,  for  the  tables  glided  from  under 
the  players'  hands.  The  chess-men  were  unmanageable. 
A  few  of  the  more  fearless  stretched  themselves  on  the 
sofas,  reading  or  sleeping,  as  many  preferred  to  brave  the 
rain  on  deck,  where  the  sailors,  in  their  oil-skin  jackets  and 
glazed  hats,  were  sedately  pacing  to  and  fro.  The  first 
officer,  well  wrapped  in  his  macintosh,  and  perched  on  the 
bridge,  was  on  watch,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  hurricane  his 
small  eyes  sparkled  with  delight.  This  was  what  the  little 
man  loved,  and  the  steamer  rolled  to  his  liking. 

The  water  from  the  skies  and  sea  mingled  in  a  dense  fog. 
The  atmosphere  was  gray,  and  birds  flew  screeching 
through  the  damp  mists.  At  ten  o'clock  a  three-mast  ship 
was  hailed,  sailing  astern  of  us,  but  her  nationality  could 
not  be  recognized. 

At  about  eleven  o'clock  the  wind  abated,  and  veered  to 
the  northwest.  The  rain  ceased,  almost  suddenly,  blue 
sky  appeared  through  the  opening  in  the  clouds,  the  sun 
shone  out  again,  and  permitted  a  more  or  less  perfect  ob- 
servation to  be  made,  which  was  posted  up  as  follows: 
Lat.  46°  29'  N.,  Long.  42°  25'  W.,  Dist.,  256  miles. 

So  that,  although  the  pressure  of  the  boilers  had  risen, 
the  ship's  speed  had  not  increased ;  but  this  might  be  attri- 
buted to  the  westerly  wind,  which  caught  the  ship  ahead, 
and  considerably  impeded  her  progress. 

At  two  o'clock  the  fog  grew  dense  again,  the  wind  fell 
and  rose  at  the  same  time.  The  thickness  of  the  fog  was 
so  intense  that  the  officers  on  the  bridge  could  not  see  the 
men  at  the  bows.  These  accumulated  vapors  rising  from 
the  sea  constitute  the  greatest  danger  of  navigation.    They 

•J4 


A   COLLISION   IS   NARROWLY   AVOIDED   45 

cause  accidents  which  it  is  impossible  to  avoid,  and  a  colli- 
sion at  sea  is  more  to  be  dreaded  than  a  fire. 

Thus,  in  the  midst  of  the  fog,  ofiEicers  and  sailors  were 
obliged  to  keep  a  strict  watch,  which  soon  proved  to  be 
necessary,  for  about  three  o'clock  a  three-master  appeared 
at  less  than  two  hundred  yards  from  the  Great  Eastern, 
her  sails  disabled  by  a  gust  of  wind,  and  no  longer  answer- 
ing to  her  helm.  The  Great  Eastern  turned  in  time  to 
avoid  her,  thanks  to  the  promptitude  with  which  the  men  on 
■watch  warned  the  steersman.  These  well-regulated  signals 
are  given  by  means  of  a  bell,  fastened  to  the  poop  at  the 
bows.  One  ring  signifies  ship  a-head;  two,  ship-starboard; 
three,  ship  a-larboard;  and  immediately  the  man  at  the 
helm  steers  in  order  to  avoid  a  collision. 

The  wind  did  not  abate  until  evening;  however  the  roll- 
ing was  nothing  to  speak  of,  as  the  sea  was  protected  by 
the  Newfoundland  heights.  An  entertainment,  by  Sir 
James  Anderson,  was  announced  for  this  day.  At  the  ap- 
pointed hour  the  saloon  was  filled  and  Sir  James  Anderson 
told  us  the  history  of  The  Transatlantic  Cable,  which  he 
had  himself  laid.  He  showed  us  photographs  representing 
the  different  engines  used  for  the  immersion.  He  sent 
round  a  model  of  the  splice  which  was  used  to  fasten  to- 
gether the  pieces  of  cable.  Finally,  very  justly  merited, 
the  three  cheers  with  which  his  lecture  was  receivd,  a  great 
part  of  which  was  meant  for  the  Honorable  Cyrus  Field, 
promoter  of  the  enterprise,  who  was  present  on  this  oc- 
casion. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

A  WATCH   FOR  ICEBERGS 

The  next  day,  the  3rd  of  April,  from  early  dawn  the 
horizon  wore  that  peculiar  aspect  which  the  English  call 
"  blink."  It  was  of  that  misty  white  color  which  signifies 
that  icebergs  are  not  far  distant;  in  fact  the  Great  Eastern 
was  plowing  those  seas  on  which  float  the  first  blocks  of 
ice  detached  from  the  icebergs  in  Davis's  Straits.  A  special 
watch  was  kept,  in  order  to  avoid  the  rude  collision  with 
these  enormous  blocks. 

There  was  a  strong  westerly  wind  blowing;  strips  of 
clouds,   or  rather  shreds  of  vapor,  hung  over  the  sea. 


46  A    FLOATING    CITY 

through  which  glimpses  of  blue  sky  appeared.  A  dull 
thudding  noise  came  from  the  waves  tossed  by  the  wind, 
and  drops  of  water,  seemingly  pulverized,  evaporated  in 
foam. 

Neither  Fabian,  Captain  Corsican,  nor  Doctor  Pitferge 
had  yet  come  on  deck,  so  I  went  towards  the  bows,  where 
the  junction  of  the  bulwarks  formed  a  comfortable  angle, 
a  kind  of  retreat,  in  which  lik«  a  hermit,  one  could  retire 
from  the  world.  I  took  my  place  in  this  corner,  sitting  on 
a  skylight,  and  my  feet  resting  on  an  enormous  pulley; 
the  wind  being  dead  ahead  passed  over  without  touching 
me.  This  was  a  good  place  for  reflection.  From  here  I 
had  a  view  of  the  whole  immensity  of  the  ship;  I  could 
see  the  long  slanting  ropes  of  the  rigging  at  the  stern. 
On  the  first  level  a  top-man,  hanging  in  the  mizzen-shrouds, 
held  himself  up  with  one  hand,  whilst  with  the  other  he 
worked  with  a  remarkable  dexterity.  On  the  deck  below 
him  paced  the  officer  on  watch,  peering  through  the  mists. 
On  the  bridge,  at  the  stern,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  an  officer, 
his  back  rounded,  and  his  head  muffled  in  a  hood,  struggling 
against  the  gusts  of  wind.  I  could  distinguish  nothing  of 
the  sea,  except  a  bluish  horizontal  line  discernible  behind 
the  paddles.  Urged  on  by  her  powerful  engines,  the  nar- 
row stem  of  the  steamship  cut  the  waves,  with  a  hissing 
sound,  like  that  when  the  sides  of  a  boiler  are  heated  by  a 
roaring  fire.  But  the  colossal  ship,  with  the  wind  a-head, 
and  borne  on  three  waves,  hardly  felt  the  movement  of  the 
sea,  which  would  have  shaken  any  other  steamer  with  its 
pitchings. 

At  half-past  twelve  the  notice  stated  that  we  were  in 
44°  53'  North  lat.,  and  47°  6'  W.  long.,  and  had  made 
two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  miles  in  twenty-four  hours 
only.  The  young  couple  must  have  scolded  the  wheels 
which  did  not  turn,  and  the  steam  which  was  not  at  all 
strong  enough  to  please  them. 

About  three  o'clock  the  sky,  swept  by  the  wind,  cleared 
up;  the  line  of  the  horizon  was  once  more  clearly  defined, 
the  wind  fell,  but  for  a  long  while  the  sea  rose  in  great 
foam-crested  billows.  Such  a  gentle  breeze  could  not  cause 
this  swell;  one  might  have  said  that  the  Atlantic  was  still 
sulky. 

At  twenty-five  minutes  to   four  a  three-mast  ship  was 


A    WATCH    FOR    ICEBERGS  47 

hailed  to  larboard.  She  hoisted  her  name;  it  was  the 
Illinois,  an  American  ship,  on  her  way  to  England. 

At  this  moment  Lieutenant  H •  informed  me  that  we 

were  passing  Cape  Race  point  We  were  now  in  the  rich 
coasts  where  are  obtained  cod-fish,  three  of  which  would 
suffice  to  supply  England  and  America  if  all  the  roe  were 
hatched.  The  day  passed  without  any  remarkable  occur- 
ence; no  accident  had  as  yet  thrown  Fabian  and  Harry 
Drake  together,  for  the  captain  and  I  never  lost  sight  of 
them.  In  the  evening  the  same  harmless  amusement,  the 
same  reading,  and  songs  in  the  grand  saloon  called  forth, 
as  usual,  frantic  applauses.  As  an  extraordinary  occur- 
rence a  lively  discussion  broke  out  between  a  Northerner 
and  a  Texan.  The  latter  demanded  an  Emperor  for  the 
Southern  States.  Happily  this  political  discussion,  which 
threatened  to  degenerate  into  a  quarrel,  was  put  to  an  end 
to  by  the  timely  arrival  of  an  imaginary  despatch,  addressed 
to  the  Ocean  Times  and  conceived  in  these  terms: 
"  Captain  Semmes,  Minister  of  War,  has  made  the  South 
compensate  for  its  ravages  in  Alabama.'*' 


CHAPTER  XVU 

THE   MAD   WOMAN 

Leaving  the  brilliantly  lighted  saloon  I  went  on  deck 
with  Captain  Corsican.  The  night  was  dark;  not  a  star 
in  the  firmament;  an  impenetrable  gloom  surrounded  the 
ship.  The  windows  of  the  saloon  shone  like  the  mouths 
of  furnaces;  the  man  on  watch,  heavily  pacing  the  poop, 
was  scarcely  discernible,  but  one  could  breathe  the  fresh 
air,  and  the  captain  inhaled  it  with  expanded  lungs. 

"  I  was  stifled  in  the  saloon,"  said  he ;  "  here  at  least  I 
can  breathe.  I  require  my  hundred  cubic  yards  of  pure 
air  every  twenty-four  hours,  or  I  get  half  suffocated." 

"  Breathe,  captain,  breathe  at  your  ease,"  said  I  to  him ; 
"  the  breeze  does  not  stint  your  wants.  Oxygen  is  a  good 
thing,  but  it  must  be  confessed  Parisians  and  Londoners 
know  it  only  by  reputation." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  captain,  "and  they  prefer  carbonic 
acid.  Ah  well!  everyone  to  his  liking;  for  my  own  part 
I  detest  it,  even  in  champagne." 


48  A   FLOATING  CITY 

Thus  talking,  we  paced  up  and  down  the  deck  on  the 
starboard  side,  sheltered  from  the  wind  by  the  high  par- 
titions of  the  deck  cabins.  Great  wreaths  of  smoke,  illu- 
minated with  sparks,  curled  from  the  black  chimneys;  the 
noise  of  the  engines  accompanied  the  whistling  of  the  wind 
in  the  shouds,  which  sounded  like  the  cords  of  a  harp. 
Mingling  with  this  hubbub,  each  quarter  of  an  hour,  came 
the  cry  of  the  sailors  on  deck,  "  All's  well,  all's  well.'* 

In  fact  no  precaution  had  been  neglected  to  insure  the 
safety  of  the  ship  on  these  coasts  frequented  by  icebergs. 
The  captain  had  a  bucket  of  water  drawn  every  half-hour, 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  temperature,  and  if  it  had  fallen 
one  degree  he  immediately  changed  his  course,  for  he  knew 
that  the  Peruvian  had  been  seen  but  a  fortnight  since 
blocked  up  by  icebergs  in  this  latitude;  it  was  therefore  a 
danger  to  be  avoided.  His  orders  for  night  were  to  keep 
a  strict  look-out.  He  himself  remained  on  the  bridge  with 
an  officer  each  side  of  him,  one  at  the  wheel  signal,  the 
other  at  the  screw ;  besides  these  a  lieutenant  and  two  men 
kept  watch  on  the  poop,  whilst  a  quarter-master  with  a 
sailor  stood  at  the  stern;  the  passengers  might  therefore 
rest  quietly. 

After  noticing  these  arrangements  we  went  back  again  to 
the  stern,  as  we  had  made  up  our  minds  to  stay  some  time 
longer,  walking  on  deck  like  peaceful  citizens  taking  an 
evening  stroll  in  their  town  squares. 

The  place  seemed  deserted.  Soon,  however,  our  eyes 
grew  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  and  we  perceived  a  man: 
leaning  perfectly  motionless,  with  his  elbow  on  the  railing. 
Corsican,  after  looking  at  him  attentively  for  some  time, 
said  to  me,  "  It  is  Fabian." 

It  was  indeed  Fabian.  We  recognized  him,  but  absorbed 
as  he  was  in  a  profound  contemplation  he  did  not  see  us. 
His  eyes  were  fixed  on  an  angle  of  the  upper  deck;  I  saw 
them  gleam  in  the  dark.  What  was  he  looking  at?  How 
could  he  pierce  this  black  gloom?  I  thought  it  better  to 
leave  him  to  his  reflections,  but  Captain  Corsican  went  up 
to  him. 

"  Fabian,"  said  fie. 

Fabian  did  not  answer;  he  had  not  heard.  Again  Corsi- 
can called  him.  He  shuddered,  and  turned  his  head  for  a 
moment,  saying,  "  Hush," 

V.  VII  Vern© 


THE    MAD    WOMAN  49 

Then  with  his  hand  he  pointed  to  a  shadow  which  was 
slowly  moving  at  the  further  end  of  the  upper  deck.  It 
was  this  almost  invisible  figure  that  Fabian  was  looking  at, 
and  smiling  sadly  he  murmured,  "  The  black  lady." 

I  shuddered.  Captain  Corsican  took  hold  of  my  arm, 
and  I  felt  that  he  also  was  trembling.  The  same  thought 
had  struck  us  both.  This  shadow  was  the  apparition  about 
which  Dean  Pitferge  had  spoken. 

Fabian  had  relapsed  into  his  dreamy  contemplation.  I, 
with  a  heaving  breast  and  awe-struck  glance,  looked  at  this 
human  figure,  the  outline  of  which  was  hardly  discernible; 
but  presently  it  became  more  defined.  It  came  forward, 
stopped,  turned  back,  and  then  again  advanced,  seeming  to 
glide  rather  than  walk.  At  ten  steps  from  us  it  stood  per- 
fectly still.  I  was  then  able  to  distinguish  the  figure  of  a 
slender  female,  closely  wrapped  in  a  kind  of  brown  bur- 
nous, and  her  face  covered  with  a  thick  veil. 

"A  mad  woman,  a  mad  woman,  is  it  not.^"  murmured 
Fabian. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  mad  woman;  but  Fabian  was  not  ask- 
ing us:  he  was  speaking  to  himself. 

In  the  meantime  the  poor  creature  came  still  nearer  to 
us.  I  thought  I  could  see  her  eyes  sparkle  through  her 
veil,  when  they  were  fixed  on  Fabian.  She  went  up  to  him, 
Fabian  started  to  his  feet,  electrified.  The  veiled  woman 
put  her  hand  on  her  heart  as  though  counting  its  pulsation, 
then,  gliding  swiftly  away,  she  disappeared  behind  the 
angle  of  the  upper  deck.  Fabian  staggered,  and  fell  on 
his  knees,  his  hands  stretched  out  before  him. 

"  It  is  she,"  he  murmured. 

Then  shaking  his  head,  "  What  an  hallucination ! "  he 
added. 

Captain  Corsican  then  took  him  by  the  hand. 

"  Come,  Fabian,  come,"  said  he,  and  he  led  away  his  un- 
happy friend. 

CHAPTER    XVIII 

THE  "pilot's   pool" 

Corsican  and  I  could  no  longer  doubt  M  tfiat  it  was 
Ellen,  Fabian's  betrothed,  and  Harry  Drake's  wife. 
Chance  had  brought  all  three  together  on  the  same  ship. 


50  A   FLOATING   CITY 

Fabian  had  not  recognized  her,  although  he  Had  cried,  "  It 
is  she ! "  But  he  was  not  mistaken  in  saying,  "  A  mad 
woman ! "  Ellen  was  mad,  undoubtedly ;  grief,  despair, 
love  frozen  in  her  heart,  contact  with  the  worthless  man 
who  had  snatched  her  from  Fabian,  ruin  and  shame  had 
broken  her  spirit  It  was  on  this  subject  that  Corsican  and 
I  spoke  the  following  morning.  We  had  no  doubt  as  to 
the  identity  of  the  young  woman;  it  was  Ellen,  whom 
Harry  Drake  was  dragging  with  him  to  the  American  con- 
tinent. The  Captain's  eyes  glowed  with  a  dark  fire  at  the 
thought  of  this  wretch,  and  I  felt  my  heart  stir  within  me. 
What  were  we  against  the  husband,  the  master  ?  Nothing. 
But  now,  what  was  most  important,  was  to  prevent  another 
meeting  between  Fabian  and  Ellen,  for  Fabian  could  not 
fail  at  last  to  recognize  his  betrothed,  and  thus  the 
catastrophe  we  wished  to  avoid  would  be  brought  about. 

At  the  same  time  we  had  reason  to  hope  that  these  two 
poor  creatures  would  not  see  each  other  again,  as  the  un- 
happy Ellen  never  appeared  in  the  daytime,  either  in  the 
saloons  or  on  the  deck.  Only  at  night,  perhaps  eluding  her 
jailer,  she  came  out  to  bathe  herself  in  the  damp  air,  and 
demand  of  the  wind  a  smooth  passage.  In  four  days,  at 
the  latest,  the  Great  Eastern  must  reacfi  New  York  har- 
bor; therefore  we  might  hope  that  accident  would  not  dally 
with  our  watchfulness,  and  that  Fabian  would  not  dis- 
cover Ellen;  but  we  made  our  calculations  without  thinking 
of  events. 

The  steamer's  course  had  been  slightly  altered  in  the 
night,  three  times  the  ship,  being  in  water  twenty-seven 
degrees  Fahrenheit — ^that  is  to  say,  five  degrees  below  zero, 
had  been  turned  towards  the  south.  There  was  no  longer 
any  doubt  of  icebergs  being  very  near,  for  the  sky  that 
morning  had  a  peculiarly  brilliant  aspect;  the  atmosphere 
was  misty,  and  the  northern  sky  glittered  with  an  intense 
reverberation,  evidently  produced  by  the  powerful  reflection 
from  the  bergs.  There  was  a  piercing  wind,  and  about  ten 
o'clock  the  deck  was  powdered  by  a  slight  snow-fall;  then 
dense  fog  surrounded  us,  in  which  we  gave  warning  of  our 
approach,  by  deafening  whistles,  which  scared  away  the 
flocks  of  sea-gulls  in  the  ship's  yards.  At  half-past  ten, 
the  fog  having  cleared  off,  a  screw  steamer  appeared  on 
the  horizon,  a-starboard,  the  white  tops  of  her  chimneys 


THE   "PILOT'S   POOL" 


51 


indicating  that  she  was  an  emigrant  ship,  belonging  to  the 
Inman  Company. 

Before  lunch  several  of  the  passengers  organized  a  pool, 
which  could  not  fail  to  please  those  fond  of  betting  and 
gambling.  The  result  of  this  pool  was  not  to  be  known  for 
four  days ;  it  was  what  is  called  the  "  pilot's  pool."  When 
a  ship  arrives  at  the  land-falls  everyone  knows  that  a  pilot 
comes  on  board;  so  they  divide  the  twenty- four  hours  of 
the  day  and  night  into  forty-eight  half-hours,  or  ninety-six 
quarters,  according  to  the  number  of  the  passengers.  Each 
player  stakes  one  dollar,  and  draws  one  of  the  half  or 
quarter  hours;  the  winner  of  the  forty-eight  or  ninety-six 
dollars  is  the  one  during  whose  quarter  of  an  hour  the  pilot 
comes  on  board.  From  this  it  may  be  seen  that  the  game 
is  very  simple;  it  is  not  a  race-course,  but  a  quarter-of-an- 
hour  race. 

It  was  a  Canadian,  the  Honorable  MacAIpine,  who  un- 
dertook the  management  of  the  affair.  He  easily  collected 
ninety-six  players,  including  several  professed  gamblers, 
not  the  least  among  those  ready  for  gain.  I,  following  the 
general  example,  staked  my  dollar,  and  fate  allotted  me  the 
ninety-fourth  quarter ;  it  was  a  bad  number,  and  one  which 
left  me  no  chance  of  profit.  The  fact  is,  these  divisions 
are  reckoned  from  noon  to  noon,  so  that  there  are  night  as 
well  as  day  quarters;  and  as  it  is  very  seldom  that  ships 
venture  close  in  in  the  dark,  the  chance  of  a  pilot  coming  on 
board  then  is  very  small.  However,  I  easily  consoled  my- 
self. Going  down  into  the  saloon,  I  saw  a  lecture  an- 
nounced. The  Utah  missionary  was  going  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing on  Mormonism;  a  good  opportunity  for  those  wishing 
to  initiate  themselves  in  the  mysteries  of  the  City  of  Saints; 
besides,  this  Elder,  Mr.  Hatch,  was  an  orator  of  no  mean 
power.  The  execution  could  not  fail  to  be  worthy  of  the 
work.  The  announcement  of  the  conference  was  received 
yery  favorably  by  the  passengers. 

The  observation  posted  up  was  as  follows,  Lat.  42°  32' 
N.,  Long.  51°  59'  W.,  Course,  254  miles. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  steersman  sig- 
naled a  large  four-mast  steamer,  which  slightly  changed  its 
course,  in  order  to  give  the  Great  Eastern  its  number.  It 
was  the  Atlanta,  one  of  the  largest  boats  running  between 
London  and  New  York,  calling  at  Brest  on  the  way.     After 


52  A    FLOATING   CITY 

having  saluted  us,  which  we  returned,  in  a  short  time  she 
was  out  of  sight. 

At  this  moment  Dean  Pitferge,  in  a  vexed  tone,  informed 
me  that  Mr.  Hatch's  lecture  was  forbidden,  as  the  wives  of 
the  puritans  on  board  did  not  approve  of  their  husbands 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  mysteries  of  Mormonism. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

FABIAN  AND  DRAKE  MEET 

^Kt  four  o'clock,  the  sky,  which  had  been  overcast, 
cleared  up,  the  sea  grew  calm,  and  the  ship  was  so  steady, 
one  might  almost  have  thought  oneself  on  terra  firma — -this 
gave  the  passengers  the  idea  of  getting  up  races.  Epsom 
turf  could  not  have  afforded  a  better  coursing-ground,  and 
as  for  horses,  they  were  well  replaced  by  pure  Scotchmen, 
as  good  as  any  "  Gladiator,"  or  "  La  Touque."  The  news 
soon  spread,  sportsmen  immediately  hurried  to  the  field. 
An  Englishman,  the  Hon.  J.  MacCarthy,  was  appointed 
commissioner,  and  the  competitors  presented  themselves 
without  delay.  They  were  half  a  dozen  sailors,  kind  of 
centaurs,  man  and  horse  at  the  same  time,  all  ready  to  try; 
for  the  prize. 

The  two  boulevards  formed  the  race-course,  the  runners 
were  to  go  three  times  round  the  ship,  thus  making  a  course 
of  about  1,300  yards,  which  was  quite  enough.  Soon  the 
galleries  were  invaded  by  crowds  of  spectators,  all  armed! 
with  opera-glasses.  Some  of  them  had  hoisted  the  "  green 
sail,"  no  doubt  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  spray  of  the 
Atlantic.  Carriages  were  missing,  I  must  confess,  but  not 
the  rank,  where  they  might  have  ranged  in  file.  Ladies  in 
gay  costumes  were  hurrying  onto  the  upper-decks;  the 
scene  was  charming. 

Fabian,  Captain  Corsican,  Dr.  Pitferge  and  I  had  taken 
our  places  on  the  poop,  which  was  what  might  be  called  the 
center  of  action.  Here  the  real  gentlemen  riders  were  as- 
sembled ;  in  front  of  us  was  the  starting  and  winning  post. 
Betting  soon  began  with  a  true  British  animation.  Con- 
siderable sums  of  money  were  staked,  but  only  from  the 
appearance  of  the  racers,  whose  qualifications  had  not  as 
yet  been  inscribed  in  the  **  stud-book."     It  was  not  with- 


FABIAN   AND   DRAKE   MEET  53 

out  uneasiness  that  I  saw  Harry  Drake  interfering  in  the 
preparations  with  his  usual  audacity,  discussing,  disputing, 
and  settHng  affairs  in  a  tone  which  admitted  of  no  reply! 
Happily,  although  Fabian  had  risked  some  pounds  in  the 
race,  he  appeared  quite  indifferent  to  the  noise ;  he  kept  him- 
self aloof  from  the  others,  and  it  was  quite  evident  his 
thoughts  were  far  off. 

Among  the  racers  who  offered  themselves,  two  particu- 
larly attracted  the  public  attention.  Wilmore,  a  small,  thin, 
wiry  Scotchman,  with  a  broad  chest  and  sharp  eyes,  was 
one  of  the  favorites;  the  other,  an  Irishman  named 
O'Kelly,  a  tall,  supple  fellow,  balanced  the  chance  wth  Wil- 
more, in  the  eyes  of  connoisseurs.  Three  to  one  was  asked 
on  him,  and  for  myself  partaking  the  general  infatuation 
I  was  going  to  risk  a  few  dollars  on  him,  when  the  Doctor 
said  to  me: 

"  Choose  the  little  one;  believe  me,  the  tall  one  is  no  go." 

"What  do  you  say?" 

"I  say,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "that  the  tall  one  is  not 
genuine;  he  may  have  a  certain  amount  of  speed,  but  he 
has  no  bottom.  The  little  one,  on  the  contrary,  is  of  pure 
Scotch  race ;  look  how  straight  his  body  is  on  his  legs,  and 
how  broad  and  pliant  his  chest  is;  he  is  a  man  who  will 
lead  more  than  once  in  the  race.     Bet  on  him,  I  tell  you. 

I  took  the  learned  doctor's  advice,  and  bet  on  Wilmore; 
as  to  the  other  four,  they  were  not  even  discussed. 

They  drew  for  places;  chance  favored  the  Irishman,  who 
had  the  rope-side;  the  six  runners  were  placed  along  the 
line,  bounded  by  the  posts,  so  that  there  was  no  unfair  start 
to  be  feared. 

The  commissioner  gave  the  signal,  and  the  departure  was 
hailed  by  a  loud  hurrah.  It  was  soon  evident  that  Wilmore 
and  O'Kelly  were  professional  runners;  without  taking  any 
notice  of  their  rivals,  who  passed  them  breathless,  they  ran 
with  their  bodies  thrown  slightly  forward,  heads  very  erect, 
arms  tightly  pressed  against  their  chests,  and  holding  their 
lists  firmly  in  front. 

In  the  second  round  O'Kelly  and  Wilmore  were  in  a  line. 
having  distanced  their  exhausted  competitors.  They  ob- 
viously verified  the  Doctor's  saying,  "  It  is  not  with  the 
legs,  but  with  the  chest  that  one  runs ;  ham-strings  are  good, 
but  lungs  are  better." 


54  A    FLOATING   CITY 

At  the  last  turning  but  one,  the  spectators  again  cheered 
their  favorites.  Cries  and  hurrahs  broke  forth  from  all 
sides. 

"  The  little  one  will  win,"  said  Pitferge  to  me.  "  Look, 
he  is  not  even  panting,  and  his  rival  is  breathless." 

Wilmore  indeed  looked  calm  and  pale,  whilst  O'Kelly  was 
steaming  like  a  damp  hay-stack ;  he  was  "  pumped  out,"  to 
use  a  sportsman's  slang  expression,  but  both  of  them  kept 
the  same  line.  At  last  they  passed  the  upper  decks;  the 
hatchway  of  the  engine-rooms,  the  winning-post. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  for  Wilmore,"  cried  some. 

"  Hurrah !  for  O'Kelly,"  chimed  in  others. 

"  Wilmore  has  won." 

"  No,  they  are  together." 

The  truth  was  Wilmore  had  won,  but  by  hardly  half  a 
head  so  the  Honorable  MacCarthy  decided.  However,  the 
discussion  continued,  and  even  came  to  words.  The  par- 
tisans of  the  Irishman,  and  particularly  Harry  Drake,  main- 
tained that  it  was  a  "  dead  heat,"  and  that  they  ought  to  go 
again. 

But  at  this  moment,  urged  on  by  an  irresistible  impulse, 
Fabian  went  up  to  Drake,  and  said  to  him  in  a  cold  tone, 
"  You  are  wrong,  sir,  the  winner  was  the  Scotch  sailor." 

"  What  do  you  say?  "  he  asked,  in  a  threatening  tone. 

"  I  say  you  are  wrong,"  answered  Fabian  quietly. 

"  Undoubtedly,"  retorted  Drake,  "  because  you  bet  on 
Wilmore." 

"  I  was  for  O'Kelly,  like  yourself;  I  lost,  and  I  have 
paid." 

"  Sir,"  cried  Drake,  "  do  you  pretend  to  teach  me ?  " 

But  he  did  not  finish  his  sentence,  for  Captain  Corsicani 
had  interposed  between  him  and  Fabian,  with  the  intention 
of  taking  up  the  quarrel.  He  treated  Drake  with  supreme 
contempt,  but  evidently  Drake  would  not  pick  a  quarrel 
with  him;  so  when  Corsican  had  finished,  he  crossed  his 
arms,  and  addressing  himself  to  Fabian,  "  This  gentleman," 
said  he,  with  an  evil  smile,  "  this  gentleman  wants  someone 
to  fight  his  battles  for  him." 

Fabian  grew  pale,  he  would  have  sprung  at  Drake,  but  I 
held  him  back,  and  the  scoundrel's  companions  dragged 
him  away;  not,  however,  before  he  had  cast  a  look  of 
hatred  at  his  enemy. 


FABIAN  AND  DRAKE  MEET      55 

Captain  Corsican  and  I  went  below  with  Fabian,  who 
contented  himself  by  saying,  "  The  first  opportunity  I  have, 
I  will  box  that  impudent  fellow's  ears." 


CHAPTER  XX 
I  FIND  Ellen's  hiding  place 

From  Thursday  night  to  Saturday  the  Great  'Eastern 
was  crossing  the  Gulf  Stream,  the  water  of  which  is  of  a 
dark  color,  the  surface  of  the  current  forcing  its  way 
against  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  is  even  slightly  convex. 
It  is,  in  fact,  a  river  running  between  two  liquid  shores,  and 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  world,  for  it  reduces  the  Amazon 
and  Mississipi  to  mere  brooks  in  comparison. 

This  day,  the  5th  of  April,  began  with  a  magnificent 
sunrise,  the  waves  glittered,  and  a  warm  southwest  wind 
was  wafted  through  the  rigging.  It  was  the  beginning  of 
the  fine  weather;  the  sun,  which  had  clothed  the  fields  of 
the  continent  with  verdure,  caused  fresh  costumes  to  bloom 
on  board.  Vegetation  is  sometimes  behind-hand,  but  fash- 
ion never.  Soon  the  Boulevards,  filled  with  groups  of 
promenaders,  looked  like  the  Champs  Elysees  on  a  fine  Sun- 
day afternoon  in  May. 

I  did  not  see  Captain  Corsican  once  that  morning ;  wish- 
ing to  hear  of  Fabian,  I  went  to  his  cabin,  and  knocked 
at  the  door,  but  getting  no  answer  I  opened  it  and  went  in. 
Fabian  was  not  there.  I  went  on  deck  again,  but  could 
find  neither  my  friends  nor  the  Doctor;  the  idea  then 
crossed  my  mind  to  find  out  where  the  unfortunate  Ellen 
was  confined.  What  cabin  did  she  occupy?  Where  had 
Drake  shut  her  up?  In  whose  care  was  the  poor  creature 
left,  when  Drake  abandoned  her  for  whole  days?  Most 
likely  with  some  disinterested  stewardess,  or  an  indifferent 
nurse.  I  wished  to  know  how  It  was,  not  from  any  vain 
motive  of  curiosity,  but  simply  in  Ellen's  and  Fabian's  in- 
terest, if  it  was  only  to  prevent  a  meeting,  always  to  be 
dreaded. 

I  began  my  search  with  the  cabin  near  the  ladies'  saloon, 
and  went  along  the  passages  of  both  stories.  This  inspec- 
tion was  easy  enough,  as  the  names  of  the  occupants  were 
written  on  each  door,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  steward's 


56  A   FLOATING  CITY 

work.  I  did  not  see  Harry  Drake's  name,  but  this  did  not 
surprise  me  much,  as  I  had  no  doubt  he  had  preferred  the 
more  isolated  cabins  at  the  stern.  In  matter  of  comfort, 
however,  no  difference  existed  between  the  cabins  at  the 
bows  and  those  at  the  stern,  for  the  Freighters  bad  only  ad- 
mitted one  class  of  passengers. 

I  next  went  toward  the  dining  saloons,  keeping  care- 
fully to  the  side  passages  which  wound  between  the  double 
row  of  cabins.  All  these  rooms  were  occupied,  and  all  had 
the  name  of  the  passengers  outside,  but  Harry  Drake's 
name  was  not  to  be  seen.  This  time  the  absence  of  his 
name  astonished  me,  for  I  thought  I  had  been  all  over  our 
Floating  City,  and  I  was  not  aware  of  any  part  more  se- 
cluded than  this. 

I  inquired  of  a  steward,  who  told  me  there  were  yet  a 
hundred  cabins  behind  the  dining  saloons. 

"  How  do  you  get  to  them?  "  I  asked. 

"  By  a  staircase  at  the  end  of  the  upper  deck." 

"  Thank  you,  and  can  you  tell  me  which  cabin  Mr.  Harry 
Drake  occupies.? " 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir,"  replied  the  steward. 

Again  I  went  on  deck,  and  following  the  steward's  direc- 
tion at  last  came  to  the  door  at  the  top  of  the  stairs.  This 
staircase  did  not  lead  to  any  large  saloons,  but  simply  to  a 
dimly-lighted  landing,  round  which  was  arranged  a  double 
row  of  cabins.  Harry  Drake  could  hardly  have  found  a 
more  favorable  place  in  which  to  hide  Ellen. 

The  greater  part  of  the  cabins  were  unoccupied.  I  went 
along  the  landing,  a  few  names  were  written  on  the  doors, 
but  only  two  or  three  at  the  most.  Harry  Drake's  name 
was  not  among  them,  and  as  I  had  made  a  very  minute 
inspection  of  this  compartment,  I  was  very  much  disap- 
pointed at  my  ill  success.  I  was  going  away  when  suddenly 
a  vague,  almost  inaudible  murmur  caught  my  ear;  it  pro- 
ceeded from  the  left  side  of  the  passage.  I  went  towards 
the  place ;  the  sounds,  at  first  faint,  grew  louder,  and  I  dis- 
tinguished a  kind  of  plaintive  song,  or  rather  melopoeia,  the 
words  of  which  did  not  reach  me. 

I  listened;  it  was  a  woman  singing,  but  in  this  uncon- 
scious voice  one  could  recognize  a  mournful  wail.  Might 
not  this  voice  belong  to  the  mad  woman?  My  presenti- 
ments could  not  deceive  me.     I  went  quietly  nearer  to  the 


I   FIND   ELLEN'S   HIDING   PLACE  57 

cabin,  which  was  numbered  775.  It  was  the  last  in  this 
dim  passage,  and  must  have  been  lighted  by  the  lowest 
light-ports  in  the  hull  of  the  Great  Eastern;  there  was 
no  name  on  the  door,  and  Harry  Drake  had  no  desire 
that  anyone  should  know  the  place  where  he  had  confined 
Ellen. 

I  could  not  distinctly  hear  the  voice  of  the  unfortunate 
woman;  her  song  was  only  a  string  of  unconnected  sen- 
tences like  one  speaking  in  sleep,  but  at  the  same  time  it  was 
sweet  and  plaintive. 

Although  I  had  no  means  of  recognizing  her  identity,  I 
had  no  doubt  but  that  it  was  Ellen  singing. 

I  listened  for  some  minutes,  and  was  just  going  away, 
when  I  heard  a  step  on  the  landing.  Could  it  be  Harry 
Drake?  I  did  not  wish  him  to  find  me  here,  for  Fabian's 
and  Ellen's  sake;  fortunately  I  could  get  on  deck,  without 
being  seen,  by  a  passage  leading  round  the  cabins.  How- 
ever, I  stopped  to  know  who  it  really  was  that  I  had  heard. 
The  darkness  partially  hid  me,  and  standing  behind  an 
angle  of  the  passage  I  could  see  without  being  myself  in 
sight. 

In  the  meantime  the  sound  of  the  footsteps  had  ceased, 
and  with  it,  as  a  strange  coincident,  Ellen's  voice.  I  waited 
and  soon  the  song  began  again,  and  the  boards  creaked 
under  a  stealthy  tread;  I  leaned  forward  and,  in  the  dim, 
uncertain  light  which  glimmered  through  the  cracks  of  the 
cabin  doors,  I  recognized  Fabian. 

It  was  my  unhappy  friend!  What  instinct  could  have 
led  him  to  this  place?  Had  he  then  discovered  the  young 
woman's  retreat  before  me?  I  did  not  know  what  to 
think.  Fabian  slowly  advanced  along  the  passage,  listen- 
ing, following  the  voice,  as  if  it  was  a  thread  drawing  him 
unconsciously  on,  and  in  spite  of  himself.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  the  song  grew  fainter  as  he  approached,  and  that  the 
thread  thus  held  was  about  to  break.  Fabian  went  quite 
near  to  the  cabin  doors  and  then  stopped. 

How  those  sad  accents  must  have  rent  his  heart !  and  how 
his  whole  being  must  have  thrilled  as  he  caught  some  tone 
in  the  voice,  which  reminded  him  of  the  past!  But  how 
was  it,  ignorant  as  he  was  of  Harry  Drake  being  on  board, 
that  he  had  any  suspicion  of  Ellen's  presence?  No,  it  was 
impossible;  he  had  only  been  attracted  by  the  plaintive  ac- 


58  A    FLOATING   CITY 

cents  which  insensibly  responded  to  the  great  grief  weigh- 
ing down  his  spirit 

Fabian  was  still  listening.  What  was  he  going  to  do? 
Would  he  call  to  the  mad  woman?  And  what  if  Ellen  sud- 
denly appeared?  Everything  was  dangerous  in  this  situa- 
tion! However,  Fabian  came  nearer  still  to  the  door  of 
her  cabin ;  the  song,  which  was  growing  fainter  and  fainter, 
suddenly  died  away,  and  a  piercing  shriek  was  heard. 

Had  Ellen,  by  a  magnetic  communication,  felt  him  whom 
she  loved  so  near  her?  Fabian's  attitude  was  desperate; 
he  had  gathered  himself  up.  Was  he  going  to  break  the 
door  open?     I  thought  he  would,  so  I  rushed  up  to  him. 

He  recognized  me;  I  dragged  him  away,  and  he  made 
no  resistance,  but  asked  me  in  a  hollow  voice,  "  Do  you 
know  who  that  unhappy  woman  is?  " 

"  No,  Fabian,  no." 

"  It  is  the  mad  woman,"  said  he,  in  an  unnatural  voice, 
"  but  this  madness  is  not  without  remedv.  I  feel  that  a 
little  devotion,  a  little  love,  would  cure  the  poor  woman." 

"Come,  Fabian,"  said  I,  "come  away." 

We  went  on  deck,  but  Fabian  did  not  utter  another  word. 
I  did  not  leave  him,  however,  until  he  had  reached  his 
cabin. 

CHAPTER  XXI 

WE  ENCOUNTER  A  CYCLONE 

Some  moments  later  I  met  Captain  Corsican,  and  told 
him  of  the  scene  I  had  just  witnessed.  He  understood,  as 
well  as  I  did,  that  the  situation  of  affairs  was  growing  more 
and  more  serious.  Ah!  could  I  have  foreseen  all  that 
would  happen,  how  I  should  have  longed  to  hasten  the  speed 
of  the  Great  Eastern,  and  put  the  broad  ocean  between 
Fabian  and  Harry  Drake !  On  leaving  each  other,  Captain 
Corsican  and  I  agreed  to  watch  the  actors  in  this  drama 
more  narrowly  than  ever. 

About  eleven  o'clock  the  English  passengers  organized 
a  subscription  on  behalf  of  the  wounded  on  board,  some  of 
whom  had  not  been  able  to  leave  the  hospital ;  among  them 
was  the  boatswain,  threatened  with  an  incurable  lameness. 
There  was  soon  a  long  list  of  signatures,  not  however,  with- 
ou*-  some  objections  having  been  raised 


WE    ENCOUNTER   A    CYCLONE  59 

At  noon  a  very  exact  observation  was  made — ^Longitude, 
'58°  37'  west,  latitude  41°  41'  11"  north,  course,  257  miles. 

We  had  the  latitude  to  a  second.  When  the  young  en- 
gaged couple  read  the  notice  they  did  not  look  remarkably 
pleased,  and  they  had  good  reason  to  be  discontented  with 
the  steam. 

That  night  was  stormy,  the  steamship,  beaten  by  the 
waves,  rolled  frightfully,  without  being  disabled;  the  furni- 
ture was  knocked  about  with  loud  crashes,  and  the  crock- 
ery began  its  clatter  again.  The  wind  had  evidently  fresh- 
ened, and  besides  this  the  Great  Eastern  was  now  in  those 
coasts  where  the  sea  is  always  rough. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  dragged  myself  to  the 
staircase  leading  onto  the  upper  decks.  By  clutching  at 
the  balusters,  and  taking  advantage  of  a  lurch  or  two,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  climbing  the  steps,  and  with  some  difficulty  man- 
aged to  reach  the  poop.  The  place  was  deserted,  if  one 
may  so  qualify  a  place  where  was  Dr.  Pitferge.  The 
worthy  man,  with  his  back  rounded  as  a  protection  against 
the  wind,  was  leaning  against  the  railing,  with  his  right  leg 
wound  tightly  round  one  of  the  rails.  He  beckoned  for 
me  to  go  to  him — with  his  head,  of  course,  for  he  could  not 
spare  his  hands,  which  held  him  up  against  the  violence  of 
the  tempest.  After  several  queer  movements,  twisting  my- 
self like  an  analide,  I  reached  the  upper  deck,  where  I  but- 
tressed myself,  after  the  doctor's  fashion.  "  We  are  in 
for  it!"  cried  he  to  me;  "this  will  last.  Heighho!  this 
Great  Eastern!  Just  at  the  moment  of  arrival,  a  cyclone, 
a  veritable  cyclone  is  commanded  on  purpose  for  her." 

The  Doctor  spoke  in  broken  sentences,  for  the  wind  cut 
short  his  words,  but  I  understood  him;  the  word  cyclone 
carried  its  explanation  with  it. 

It  is  well  known  that  these  whirlwinds,  called  hurricanes 
in  the  Indian  and  Atlantic  Oceans,  tornadoes  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  simoons  in  the  desert,  and  typhoons  in  the  Chi- 
nese Sea,  are  tempests  of  such  formidable  power,  that  they 
imperil  the  largest  ships. 

Now  the  Great  Eastern  was  caught  in  a  cyclone.  How 
would  this  giant  make  head  against  it? 

"  Harm  will  come  to  her,"  repeated  Dean  Pitferge. 
"  Look,  how  she  dives  into  the  billows." 

This  was,  indeed,  the  exact  position  of  the  steamship. 


6o  A   FLOATING   CITY 

whose  stern  disappeared  beneath  the  mountains  of  waves, 
which  swept  violently  against  her.  It  was  not  possible  to 
see  to  any  distance :  there  were  all  the  symptoms  of  a  storm, 
which  broke  forth  in  its  fury  about  seven  o'clock.  The 
ocean  heaved  terrifically,  the  small  undulations  between  the 
large  waves  entirely  disappeared  under  an  overwhelming 
wind,  the  foam-crested  billovv^s  clashed  together,  in  the  wild- 
est uproar,  every  moment;  the  waves  grew  higher,  and  the 
Great  Eastern,  cutting  through  them,  pitched  frightfully. 

"  There  are  but  two  courses  now  to  choose  from,"  said 
the  Doctor,  with  the  self-possession  of  a  seaman,  "  either 
to  put  the  ship's  head  onto  the  waves,  working  with  a 
minimum  speed,  or  take  flight  and  give  up  the  struggle  with 
this  baffling  sea;  but  Captain  Anderson  will  do  neither  one 
thing  nor  the  other." 

"  And  why  not?  "  I  asked. 

"  Because "  replied  the  Doctor,  "  because  something 

must  happen." 

Turning  round,  I  saw  the  captain,  the  first  officer,  and 
the  chief  engineer,  muffled  in  their  mackintoshes,  and  clutch- 
ing at  the  railing  of  the  bridge;  they  were  enveloped  in 
spray  from  head  to  foot.  The  captain  was  smiling  as 
usual,  the  first  officer  laughed,  and  showed  his  white  teeth, 
at  the  sight  of  the  ship  pitching  enough  to  make  one  think 
the  masts  and  chimneys  were  coming  down. 

Nevertheless  I  was  really  astonished  at  the  captain's  ob- 
stinacy. At  half  past  seven,  the  aspect  of  the  Atlantic  was 
terrible;  the  sea  swept  right  across  the  deck  at  the  bows. 
I  watched  this  grand  sight;  this  struggle  between  the  giant 
and  the  billows,  and  to  a  certain  extent  I  could  sympathize 
with  the  captain's  wilfullness;  but  I  was  forgetting  that 
the  power  of  the  sea  is  infinite,  and  that  nothing  made  by 
the  hand  of  man  can  resist  it;  and,  indeed,  powerful 
as  she  was,  our  ship  was  at  last  obliged  to  fly  before  the 
tempest. 

Suddenly,  at  about  eight  o'clock,  a  violent  shock  was  felt, 
caused  by  a  formidable  swoop  of  the  sea,  which  struck  the 
ship  on  her  fore  larboard  quarter. 

"  That  was  not  a  box  on  the  ear,  it  was  a  blow  in  the 
face,"  said  the  Doctor  to  me. 

And  the  blow  had  evidently  bruised  us,  for  spars  ap- 
peared pn  the  crests  of  the  waves.     Was  it  part  of  our  ship 


WE   ENCOUNTER    A   CYCLONE  6i 

that  was  making  off  in  this  manner,  or  the  debris  of  a 
wreck  ? 

On  a  sign  from  the  captain,  the  Great  Eastern  shi  f ted  her 
course,  in  order  to  avoid  the  spars,  which  threatened  to 
get  entangled  in  the  paddles.  Looking  more  attentively, 
I  saw  that  the  sea  had  carried  off  the  bulwarks  on  the  lar- 
board side,  which  were  fifty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water;  the  jambs  were  broken,  the  taggers  torn  away,  and 
the  shattered  remnants  of  glass  still  trembled  in  their  case- 
ments. The  Great  Eastern  had  staggered  beneath  the 
shock,  but  she  continued  on  her  way  with  an  indomitable 
audacity.  It  was  necessary,  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  re- 
move the  spars  which  encumbered  the  ship  at  the  bows,  and 
in  order  to  do  this  it  was  indispensable  to  avoid  the  sea,  but 
the  steamship  obstinately  continued  to  make  head  against 
the  waves.  The  spirit  of  her  captain  seemed  to  animate 
her ;  he  did  not  want  to  yield,  and  yield  he  would  not.  An 
officer  and  some  men  were  sent  to  the  bows  to  clear  the 
deck. 

"  Mind,"  said  the  Doctor  to  me,  "  the  moment  of  the 
catastrophe  is  not  far  off." 

The  sailors  went  towards  the  bows,  whilst  we  fastened 
ourselves  to  the  second  mast,  and  looked  through  the  spray, 
which  fell  in  showers  over  us  with  each  wave.  Suddenly 
there  was  another  swoop  more  violent  than  the  first,  and 
the  sea  poured  through  the  barricading  by  the  opened 
breach,  tore  off  an  enormous  sheet  of  cast-iron  which  cov- 
ered the  bit  of  the  bows,  broke  away  the  massive  top  of 
the  hatchway  leading  to  the  crew's  berths,  and  lashing 
against  the  starboard  barricadings,  swept  them  off  like  the 
sheets  of  a  sail. 

The  men  were  knocked  down;  one  of  them,  an  officer, 
half-drowned,  shook  his  red  whiskers,  and  picked  himself 
up;  then  seeing  one  of  the  sailors  lying  unconscious  across 
an  anchor,  he  hurried  towards  him,  lifted  him  on  his  shoul- 
ders and  carried  him  away.  At  this  moment  the  rest  of 
the  crew  escaped  through  the  broken  hatchway.  There 
were  three  feet  of  water  in  the  'tween-decks,  new  spars 
covered  the  sea,  and  amongst  other  things  several  thousand 
of  the  dolls,  which  my  countryman  had  thought  to  acclima- 
tize in  America;  these  little  bodies,  torn  from  their  cases 
by  the  sea,  danced  on  the  summits  of  the  waves,  and  under 


62  A    FLOATING   CITY 

less  serious  circumstances  the  sight  would  have  been  truly 
ludicrous.  In  the  meantime  the  inundation  was  gaining  on 
us;  large  bodies  of  water  were  pouring  in  through  the 
opened  gaps,  and  according  to  the  engineer,  the  Great  East- 
ern shipped  more  than  two  thousand  tons  of  water,  enough 
to  float  a  frigate  of  the  largest  size. 

"  Well ! "  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  whose  hat  had  been 
blown  off  in  the  hurricane,  "  to  keep  in  this  position  is  im- 
possible; it  is  fool-hardy  to  hold  on  any  longer;  we  ought 
to  take  flight,  the  steamship  going  with  her  battered  stem 
ahead.  Is  like  a  man  swimming  between  two  currents,  with 
his  mouth  open." 

This  Captain  Anderson  understood  at  last,  for  I  saw  him 
run  to  the  little  wheel  on  the  bridge  which  commanded  the 
movement  of  the  rudder,  the  steam  immediately  rushed  into 
the  cylinders  at  the  stern,  and  the  giant  turning  like  a  canoe 
made  head  towards  the  north,  and  fled  before  the  storm. 

At  this  moment,  the  captain,  generally  so  calm  and  self- 
possessed,  cried  angrily,  "  My  ship  is  disgraced." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   STORM    CONTINUES 

Scarcely  had  the  Great  Eastern  tacked  and  presented! 
her  stern  to  the  waves,  than  the  pitching  gave  way  to  per- 
fect steadiness;  breakfast  was  served,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  passengers,  reassured  by  the  ship's  stillness,  came  into 
the  dining-rooms,  and  took  their  repast  without  fear  of 
another  shock.  Not  a  plate  fell  off  the  table,  and  not  a 
glass  emptied  its  contents  onto  the  cloth,  although  the 
racks  had  not  even  been  put  up.  But  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  later  the  furniture  was  set  in  motion  again,  and  the 
crockery  clattered  together  on  the  pantry  shelves,  for  the 
Great  Eastern  had  resumed  her  westerly  course,  which  for 
the  time  had  been  interrupted. 

I  went  on  deck  again  with  Dr.  Pitferge,  who,  seeing  the 
man  belonging  to  the  dolls,  said  to  him : 

"Your  little  people  have  been  put  to  a  severe  test,  sir; 
those  poor  babies  will  never  prattle  in  the  United  States." 

**  Pshaw!"  replied  the  enterprising  Parisian,  "the  stock 
was  insured,  and  my  secret  has  not  perished  with  it." 


THE    STORM    CONTINUES  63 

It  was  evident  my  countryman  was  not  a  man  to  be 
easily  disheartened;  he  bowed  to  us  with  a  pleasant  smile, 
and  we  continued  our  way  to  the  stern,  where  a  steersman 
told  us  that  the  rudder-chains  had  been  jammed  in  the  in- 
terval between  the  two  swoops. 

"  If  that  accident  had  happened  when  we  were  turning," 
said  Pitferge  to  me,  "I  cannot  say  what  would  have  be- 
come of  us,  for  the  sea  would  have  rushed  in,  in  overwhelm- 
ing torrents ;  the  steam  pumps  have  already  begun  to  reduce 
the  water,  but  there  is  more  coming  yet." 

"And  what  of  the  unfortunate  sailor?"  asked  I  of  the 
Doctor. 

"He  is  severely  wounded  on  his  head,  poor  fellow!  he 
is  a  young  married  fisherman,  the  father  of  two  children, 
and  this  is  his  first  voyage.  The  doctor  seems  to  think 
there  is  hope  of  his  recovery,  and  that  is  what  makes  me 
fear  for  him,  but  we  shall  soon  see  for  ourselves.  A  report 
was  spread  that  several  men  had  been  washed  overboard, 
but  happily  there  was  no  foundation  for  it." 

"  We  have  resumed  our  course  at  last,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Doctor,  "  the  westerly  course,  against 
wind  and  tide,  there  is  no  doubt  about  that,"  added  he, 
catching  hold  of  a  kevel  to  prevent  himself  from  rolling  on 
the  deck.  "  Do  you  know  what  I  should  do  with  the  Great 
Eastern  if  she  belonged  to  me?  No.  Well,  I  would  make 
a  pleasure  boat  of  her,  and  charge  10,000  francs  a  head; 
there  would  only  be  millionaires  on  board,  and  people  who 
were  not  pressed  for  time.  I  would  take  a  month  or  six 
weeks  going  from  England  to  America;  the  ship  never 
against  the  waves,  and  the  wind  always  ahead  or  astern; 
there  should  be  no  rolling,  no  pitching,  and  I  would  pay  a 
100/.  in  any  case  of  sea-sickness." 

"  That  is  a  practical  idea,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Pitferge,  "  there's  money  to  be  gained  or 
lost  by  that !  " 

In  the  meantime  the  Great  Eastern  was  slowly  but  stead- 
ily continuing  her  way;  the  swell  was  frightful,  but  her 
straight  stem  cut  the  waves  regularly,  and  shipped  no  more 
water.  It  was  no  longer  a  metal  mountain  making  against 
a  mountain  of  water,  but  as  sedentary  as  a  rock  the  Great 
Eastern  received  the  billows  with  perfect  indifference.  The 
rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  we  were  obliged  to  take  refuge 


64  A    FLOATING   CITY 

under  the  eaves  of  the  grand  saloon;  with  the  shower  the 
violence  of  the  wind  and  sea  assuaged;  the  western  sky- 
grew  clear,  and  the  last  black  clouds  vanished  on  the  op- 
posite horizon;  at  ten  o'clock  the  hurricane  sent  us  a  fare- 
well gust. 

At  noon  an  observation  was  able  to  be  made  and  was  as 
follows;  latitude,  49°  50',  north;  longitude,  61°  5/,  west; 
course,  193  miles. 

This  considerable  diminution  in  the  ship's  speed  could 
only  be  attributed  to  the  tempest,  which  during  the  night 
and  morning  had  incessantly  beaten  against  the  ship,  and 
a  tempest  so  terrible  that  one  of  the  passengers,  almost  an 
inhabitant  of  the  Atlantic,  which  he  had  crossed  forty-four 
times,  declared  he  had  never  seen  the  like.  The  engineer 
even  said  that  during  the  storm,  when  the  Great  Eastern 
was  three  days  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  the  ship  had  never 
been  attacked  with  such  violence,  and  it  must  be  repeated 
that  even  if  this  admirable  steamship  did  go  at  an  inferior 
speed,  and  rolled  decidedly  too  much,  she  nevertheless  pre- 
sented a  sure  security  against  the  fury  of  the  sea,  which  she 
resisted  like  a  block,  owing  to  the  perfect  homogeneity  of 
her  construction. 

But  let  me  also  say,  however  powerful  she  might  be,  it 
was  not  right  to  expose  her,  without  any  reason  whatever, 
to  a  baffling  sea;  for  however  strong,  however  imposing  a 
ship  may  appear,  it  is  not  "  disgraced  "  because  it  flies  be- 
fore the  tempest.  A  commander  ought  always  to  remem- 
ber that  a  man's  life  is  worth  more  than  the  mere  satisfaction 
of  his  own  pride.  In  any  case,  to  be  obstinate  is  blameable, 
and  to  be  willful  is  dangerous.  A  recent  incident  in  which 
a  dreadful  catastrophe  happened  to  a  Transatlantic  steamer 
shows  us  that  a  captain  ought  not  to  struggle  blindly  against 
the  sea,  even  when  he  sees  the  boat  of  a  rival  company 
creeping  ahead. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

FABIAN    LEARNS    THE    NAME    OF    HIS    ENEMY 

In  the  meantime  the  pumps  were  exhausting  the  lake 
which  had  been  formed  in  the  hold  of  the  Great  Eastern, 
like  a  lagoon  in  the  middle  of  an  island;  powerfully  and 

V.  VII  Verne 


FABIAN'S    ENEMY  65 

rapidly  worked  by  steam  they  speedily  restored  to  the  At- 
lantic that  which  belonged  to  it.  The  rain  had  ceased  and 
the  wind  freshened  again,  but  the  sky,  swept  by  the  tempest, 
was  clear.  I  stayed  several  hours  after  dark  walking  on 
deck.  Great  floods  of  light  poured  from  the  half-opened 
hatchways  of  the  saloons,  and  at  the  stern  stretched  a  phos- 
phorescent light  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  streaked  here 
and  there  by  the  luminous  crests  of  the  waves.  The  stars 
reflected  in  the  lactescent  water  appeared  and  disappeared, 
as  though  peering  through  rapidly  driving  clouds.  Night 
had  spread  her  somber  covering  far  and  near;  forward 
roared  the  thunder  of  the  wheels,  whilst  beneath  me  I  heard 
the  clanking  of  the  rudder-chains. 

Going  back  to  the  saloon  door  I  was  surprised  to  see 
there  a  compact  cro'wd  of  spectators,  and  to  hear  vociferous 
applauses,  for,  in  spite  of  the  day's  disasters,  the  entertain- 
ment was  taking  place  as  usual.  Not  a  thought  of  the 
wounded  and,  perhaps,  dying  sailor.  The  assembly  seemed 
highly  animated,  and  loud  hurrahs  hailed  the  appearance  of 
a  troop  of  minstrels  on  board  the  Great  Eastern.  The 
negroes — black,  or  blackened,  according  to  their  origin — 
were  no  others  than  sailors  in  disguise.  They  were  dressed 
in  cast-off  trumpery,  ornamented  with  sea-biscuits  for  but- 
tons; the  opera-glasses  which  they  sported  were  composed 
of  two  bottles  fastened  together,  and  their  jew's-harps  con- 
sisted of  catgut  stretched  on  cork.  These  merry-andrews 
were  amusing  enough  upon  the  whole;  they  sang  comic 
songs,  and  improvised  a  mixture  of  puns  and  cock-and-bull 
stories.  The  uproarious  cheers  with  which  their  perform- 
ances were  greeted  only  made  them  increase  their  contor- 
tions and  grimaces,  until  one  of  them,  as  nimble  as  a 
monkey,  finished  the  performance  by  dancing  the  sailor's 
hornpipe. 

However  amusing  the  minstrels  may  have  been,  they 
had  not  succeeded  in  attracting  all  the  passengers.  Num- 
bers of  them  had  flocked  to  their  usual  haunt,  the  "  smok- 
ing-room," and  were  eagerly  pressing  round  the  gaming- 
tables, where  enormous  stakes  were  being  made,  some 
defending  their  acquisitions  during  the  voyage,  others 
trying  to  conquer  fate  by  making  rash  wagers  at  the  last 
moment.  The  room  was  in  a  violent  uproar;  one  could 
hear  the  voice  of  the  money  agent  crying  the  stakes,  the 


66  'A   FLOATING   CITY 

oaths  of  the  losers,  the  clinking  of  gold,  and  the  rustling 
of  dollar-bills;  then  there  was  a  sudden  lull,  the  uproar 
iwas  silenced  by  a  bold  stake,  but  as  soon  as  the  result  was 
known  the  noise  was  redoubled. 

I  very  seldom  entered  the  smoking-room,  for  I  have  a 
horror  of  gambling.  It  is  always  a  vulgar  and  often  an 
unhealthy  pastime,  and  it  is  a  vice  which  does  not  go  alone ; 
the  man  who  gambles  will  find  himself  capable  of  any  evil. 
Here  reigned  Harry  Drake  in  the  midst  of  his  parasites, 
here  also  flourished  those  adventurers  who  were  going  to 
seek  their  fortunes  in  America.  I  always  avoided  a  meet- 
ing with  these  boisterous  men,  so  this  evening  I  passed 
the  door  without  going  in,  when  my  attention  was  arrested 
by  a  violent  outburst  of  cries  and  curses.  I  listened,  and, 
after  a  moment's  silence,  to  my  great  astonishment  I 
thought  I  could  distinguish  Fabian's  voice.  What  could  he 
be  doing  in  this  place.''  Had  he  come  here  to  look  for  his 
enemy,  and  thus  the  catastrophe,  until  now  avoided,  been 
brought  about? 

I  quickly  pushed  the  door  open :  at  this  moment  the  up- 
roar was  at  its  height.  In  the  midst  of  the  crowd  of 
gamblers  I  saw  Fabian  standing  facing  Harry  Drake.  I 
hurried  towards  him,  Harry  Drake  had  undoubtedly  grossly 
insulted  him,  for  Fabian  was  aiming  a  blow  with  his  fist  at 
him,  and  if  it  did  not  reach  the  place  it  was  intended  for, 
it  was  only  because  the  Corsican  suddenly  appeared  and 
stopped  him  with  a  quick  gesture. 

But,  addressing  himself  to  his  enemy,  Fabian  said,  in  at 
cold,  sarcastic  tone,  "  Do  you  accept  that  blow  ?  "' 

"  Yes,"  replied  Drake,  "  and  here  is  my  card !  " 

Thus,  in  spite  of  our  efforts,  an  inevitable  fatality  had 
brought  these  two  deadly  enemies  together.  It  was  too 
late  to  separate  them  now,  events  must  take  their  course. 
Captain  Corsican  looked  at  me,  and  I  was  surprised  to  see 
sadness  rather  than  annoyance  in  his  eyes. 

In  the  meantime  Fabian  picked  up  the  card  which  Harry 
Drake  had  thrown  on  the  table.  He  held  It  between  the 
tips  of  his  fingers  as  if  loath  to  touch  it.  Captain  Cor- 
sican was  pale,  and  my  heart  beat  wildly.  At  last  Fabian 
looked  at  the  card,  and  read  the  name  on  it,  then  with  a 
voice  stifled  by  passion,  he  cried,  "  Harry  Drake !  you ! 
you !  you  I" 


FABIAN'S   ENEMY  §7 

^  "  The   same.    Captain   MacElwin,"    quietly    replied   his 
rival. 

We  were  not  deceived;  if  Fabian  was  ignorant  until  novf 
of  Drake's  name,  the  latter  was  only  toQ  well  aware  <>f 
Fabian's  presence  on  the  Great  Eastern, 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

FABIAN  RECOGNIZES  ELLEN 

The  next  day,  at  break  of  dawn,  I  went  in  searcE  of 
Captain  Corsican,  whom  I  found  in  the  grand  saloon.  He 
had  passed  the  night  with  Fabian,  who  was  still  suffering 
from  the  shock  which  the  name  of  Ellen's  husband  had 
given  him.  Did  a  secret  intuition  tell  him  that  Drake  was 
not  alone  on  board?  Had  Ellen's  presence  been  revealed 
to  him  by  the  appearance  of  this  man?  Lastly,  could  he 
guess  that  the  poor  crazed  woman  was  the  young  girl  whom 
he  so  fondly  loved?  Corsican  could  not  say,  for  Fabian 
had  not  uttered  one  word  all  night. 

Corsican  resented  Fabian's  wrongs  witH  a  kind  of 
brotherly  feeling.  The  intrepid  nature  of  the  latter  had 
from  childhood  irresistibly  attracted  him,  and  he  was  now 
in  the  greatest  despair. 

"  I  came  in  too  late,"  said  he  to  me.  "  Before  Fabian 
raised  his  hand,  I  ought  to  have  struck  that  wretch." 

"  Useless  violence,"  replied  I.  "  Harry  Drake  would  not 
have  quarreled  with  you;  he  has  a  grudge  against  Fabian, 
and  a  meeting  between  the  two  was  inevitable." 

"You  are  right,"  said  the  captain.  "That  rascal  Has 
got  what  he  wanted;  he  knew  Fabian,  his  past  life,  and  his 
love.  Perhaps  Ellen,  deprived  of  reason,  betrayed  her 
secret  thoughts,  or,  rather,  did  not  Drake  before  his  mar- 
riage learn  from  the  loyal  young  woman  all  he  was  ignorant 
of  regarding  her  past  life?  Urged  on  by  a  base  impulse, 
and  finding  himself  in  contact  with  Fabian,  he  has  waited 
for  an  opportunity  in  which  he  could  assume  the  part  of 
the  offended.     This  scoundrel  ought  to  be  a  clever  duelist." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I.  "  He  has  already  had  three  or  four 
encounters  of  the  kind." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  it  is  not  the  duel  in 
itself  which  I  fear  for  Fabian.     Captain  MacElwin  is  one 


6S  'K  FLOATING  CITY 

of  those  who  never  trouble  themselves  about  danger,  but 
it  Is  the  result  of  this  engagement  which  is  to  be  dreaded. 
If  Fabian  were  to  kill  this  man,  however  vile  he  may  be, 
it  would  place  an  impossible  barrier  between  Ellen  and 
himself,  and  Heaven  knows,  the  unhappy  woman  needs  a 
support,  like  Fabian,  in  the  state  she  now  is." 

"  True,"  said  I ;  "  nevertheless  we  can  but  hope  that 
Harry  Drake  will  fall.     Justice  is  on  our  side." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  captain,  "  but  one  cannot  help 
feeling  distressed  to  think  that  even  at  the  risk  of  my  own 
life  I  could  not  have  spared  Fabian  this/* 

"  Captain,"  said  I,  taking  the  hand  of  this  devoted 
friend,  "  Drake  has  not  sent  his  seconds  yet,  so  that,  al- 
though circumstances  are  against  us,  I  do  not  despair." 

"Do  you  know  any  means  of  preventing  the  duel?" 

"  None  at  present;  at  the  same  time,  if  the  meeting  must 
take  place,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  can  only  do  so  in  America, 
and  before  we  get  there,  chance,  which  has  brought  about 
this  state  of  things,  will,  perhaps,  turn  the  scales  in  our 
favor." 

Captain  Corsican  shook  his  head  like  a  man  who  had  no 
faith  in  the  efficacy  of  chance  in  human  affairs.  At  this 
moment  Fabian  went  up  the  stairs  leading  to  the  deck.  I 
only  saw  him  for  a  moment,  but  I  was  struck  by  the  deadly 
pallor  of  his  face.  The  wound  had  been  reopened,  and  it 
was  sad  to  see  him  wandering  aimlessly  about,  trying  to 
avoid  us. 

Even  friendship  may  be  troublesome  at  times,  and  Cor- 
sican and  I  thought  it  better  to  respect  his  grief  rather  than: 
interfere  with  him.  But  suddenly  Fabian  turned,  and  com- 
ing towards  us,  said,  "  The  mad  woman  was  she !  It  was 
Ellen,  was  it  not?     Poor  Ellen!" 

He  was  still  doubtful,  and  went  away  without  waiting 
for  an  answer,  which  we  had  not  the  courage  to  give. 

At  noon,  Drake  had  not  sent  Fabian  his  seconds  to  my 
Icnowledge,  and  these  were  preliminaries  which  could  not 
be  dispensed  with,  if  Drake  determined  to  demand  immedi- 
ate satisfaction.  Might  we  not  take  hope  from  this  delay? 
I  knew  that  the  Saxon  race  do  not  regard  a  debt  of  honor 
as  we  do,  and  that  duels  had  almost  disappeared  from  Eng- 
lish customs,  for,  as  I  have  already  said,  not  only  is  there 
a  severe  law  against  duelists,  but,  moreover,  public  opin- 


FABIAN   RECOGNIZES   ELLEN  69 

ion  is  strongly  averse  to  them.  At  the  same  time,  in  this, 
which  was  an  uncommon  case,  the  engagement  had  evi- 
dently been  voluntarily  sought  for ;  the  offended  had,  so  to 
speak,  provoked  the  offender,  and  my  reasonings  always 
tended  to  the  same  conclusion,  that  a  meeting  between 
Fabian  and  Drake  was  inevitable. 

The  deck  was  at  this  moment  crowded  with  passengers 
and  crew  returning  from  service.  At  half  past  twelve 
the  observation  resulted  in  the  following  note :  latitude,  40** 
33'  north;  longitude,  66°  24'  west;  course,  214  miles.  Thus 
the  Great  Eastern  was  only  348  miles  from  Sandy  Hook 
Point,  a  narrow  tongue  of  land  which  forms  the  entrance 
to  New  York  harbor;  it  would  not  be  long  before  we  were 
in  American  seas. 

I  did  not  see  Fabian  in  his  usual  place  at  lunch,  but 
Drake  was  there,  and  although  talkative,  he  did  not  appear 
to  be  quite  at  his  ease.  Was  he  trying  to  drown  his  fears 
in  wine?  I  cannot  say,  but  he  indulged  in  bountiful  liba- 
tions with  his  friends.  Several  times  I  saw  him  leering  at 
me,  but  insolent  as  he  was,  he  dared  not  look  me  in  the 
face.  Was  he  looking  for  Fabian  among  the  crowd  of 
guests?  I  noticed  he  left  the  table  abruptly  before  the 
meal  was  finished,  and  I  got  up  immediately,  in  order  to 
observe  him,  but  he  went  to  his  cabin  and  shut  himself  up 
there. 

I  went  up  on  deck.  Not  a  wave  disturbed  the  calm 
surface  of  the  sea,  and  the  sky  was  unsullied  by  a  cloud;  the 
two  mirrors  mutually  reflected  their  azure  hue.  I  met 
Doctor  Pitferge,  who  gave  me  bad  news  of  the  wounded 
sailor.  The  invalid  was  getting  worse,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
doctor's  assurance,  it  was  difficult  to  think  that  he  could 
recover. 

At  five  o'clock  another  ship  on  the  horizon,  but  too  far 
off  for  her  nationality  to  be  recognized.  This  time  it  was 
undoubtedly  the  City  of  Paris.  This  meeting  with  ships, 
and  the  salutation  between  the  Atlantic's  visitors,  caused 
great  excitement  on  board.  One  can  understand  that  as 
there  is  little  difference  between  one  ship  and  another,  the 
common  danger  of  facing  the  uncertain  element  unites  even 
strangers  by  a  friendly  bond.  At  six  o'clock  a  third  ship 
appeared,  the  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  Inman  line,  used  for 
the  transportation  of  emigrants  from  Liverpool  to  New 


70  A   FLOATING   CITY 

York.     We  were  evidently  in   frequented  seas,  and  land 
could  not  be  far  off.     How  I  longed  to  reach  it ! 

Nig'ht  closed  in  about  half-past  seven.  As  the  sun  sank 
below  the  horizon,  the  moon  grew  brighter  and  for  some 
time  hung  shining  in  the  heavens.  A  prayer  meeting,  held 
by  Captain  Anderson,  interspersed  with  hymns,  lasted  until 
nine  o'clock.  The  day  passed  without  either  Captain  Cor- 
sican  or  myself  receiving  a  visit  from  Drake's  seconds. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
A  sailor's  burial 

The  next  day,  Monday,  the  8th  of  April,  the  weather 
was  very  fine.  I  found  the  Doctor  on  deck  basking  in  the 
sun.  He  came  up  to  me.  "  Ah  well !  "  said  he,  "  our  poor 
sufferer  died  in  the  night.  The  doctor  never  gave  him 
up — oh,  those  doctors!  they  will  never  give  in.  This  is 
the  fourth  man  we  have  lost  since  we  left  Liverpool,  the 
forth  gone  towards  paying  the  Great  Eastern's  debt." 

"  Poor  fellow,"  said  I,  "  just  as  we  are  nearing  port,  and 
the  American  coast  almost  in  sight.  What  will  become  of 
his  widow  and  little  children?" 

"Would  you  have  it  otherwise,  my  dear  sir?  It  is  the 
law,  the  great  law!  we  must  die!  We  must  give  way  to 
others.  It  is  my  opinion  we  die  simply  because  we  are 
occupying  a  place  which  by  rights  belongs  to  another.  Now 
can  you  tell  me  how  many  people  will  have  died  during 
my  existence  if  I  live  to  be  sixty?" 

"  I  have  no  idea.  Doctor." 

"The  calculation  is  simple  enough,"  resumed  Dean  Pit- 
ferge.  "  If  I  live  sixty  years,  I  shall  have  been  in  the 
world  21,900  days,  or  525,600  hours,  or  31,536,000  min- 
utes, or  lastly,  1,892,160,000  seconds,  in  round  numbers 
2,000,000,000  seconds.  Now  in  that  time  two  thousand 
million  individuals  who  were  in  the  way  of  their  succes- 
sors will  have  died,  and  when  I  have  become  inconvenient, 
I  shall  be  put  out  of  the  way  in  the  same  manner,  so  that 
the  long  and  short  of  the  matter  is  to  put  off  becoming  in- 
convenient as  long  as  possible." 

The  Doctor  continued  for  some  time  arguing  on  this 
subject,  tending  to  prove  to  me  a  very  simple  theory,  the 


A    SAILOR'S    BURIAL  71 

mortality  of  human  creatures.  I  did  not  think  it  worth 
while  to  discuss  the  point  with  him,  so  I  let  him  have  his 
say.  Whilst  we  paced  backwards  and  forwards,  the  Doc- 
tor talking,  and  I  listening,  I  noticed  that  the  carpenters 
on  board  were  busy  repairing  the  battered  stem.  If  Cap- 
tain Anderson  did  not  wish  to  arrive  in  New  York  with 
damages,  the  carpenters  would  have  to  hurry  over  their 
work,  for  the  Great  Eastern  was  rapidly  speeding  through 
the  tranquil  waters;  this  I  understood  from  the  lively  de- 
meanor of  the  young  lovers,  who  no  longer  thought  of 
counting  the  turns  of  the  wheels.  The  long  pistons  ex- 
panded, and  the  enormous  cylinders  heaving  on  their  axle- 
swings,  looked  like  a  great  peal  of  bells  clanging  together 
at  random.  The  wheels  made  eleven  revolutions  a  min- 
ute, and  the  steamship  went  at  the  rate  of  thirteen  miles  an 
hour.  At  noon  the  officers  dispensed  with  making  an  ob- 
servation; they  knew  their  situation  by  calculation,  and 
land  must  be  signaled  before  long. 

While  I  was  walking  on  deck  after  lunch",  Captain  Cor- 
sican  came  up.  I  saw,  from  the  thoughtful  expression  on 
his  face,  that  he  had  something  to  tell  me.  "  Fabian,"  said 
he,  "  has  received  Drake's  seconds.  I  am  to  be  his  second, 
and  he  begs  me  to  ask  you  if  you  will  kindly  be  present 
on  the  occasion.     He  may  rely  on  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  captain;  so  all  hope  of  deferring  or  preventing 
this  meeting  has  vanished.''" 

"  All  hope." 
But  tell  me,  how  did  the  quarrel  arise?" 
A  discussion  about  the  play  was  a  pretext  for  it,  noth- 
ing else.  The  fact  is  if  Fabian  was  not  aware  who  Harry 
Drake  was,  it  is  quite  evident  he  knew  Fabian,  and  the  name 
of  Fabian  is  so  odious  to  him  that  he  would  gladly  slay  the 
man  to  whom  it  belongs." 

"  Who  are  Drake's  seconds?  "  I  asked. 

"  One  of  them  is  that  actor — —=" 

"Doctor  T ?" 

"  Just  so ;  the  other  is  a  Yankee  I  do  not  know." 

"  When  are  you  to  expect  them?  " 

"  I  am  waiting  for  them  here." 

And  just  as  he  spoke  I  saw  the  seconds  coming  towards 

us.      Doctor   T cleared    his    throat;    he    undoubtedly 

thought  a  great  deal  more  of  himself  as  the  representative 


(( 


72  A   FLOATING   CITY 

of  a  rogue.  His  companion,  another  of  Drake's  associ- 
ates, was  one  of  those  extraordinary  merchants  who  has 
always  for  sale  anything  you  may  ask  him  to  buy. 

Doctor  T spoke  first,  after  making  a  very  emphatic 

t)0w,  which  Captain  Corsican  hardly  condescended  to  ac- 
knowledge. 

*'  Gentlemen,"  said  Doctor  T ,  in  a  grave  tone,  "  our 

friend  Drake,  a  gentleman  whose  merit  and  deportment 
cannot  fail  to  be  appreciated  by  everyone,  has  sent  us  to 
arrange  a  somewhat  delicate  affair  with  you ;  that  is  to  say. 
Captain  Fabian  MacElwin,  to  whom  we  first  addressed 
ourselves,  referred  us  to  you  as  his  representative.  I  hope 
that  we  shall  be  able  to  come  to  an  understanding  between 
ourselves  worthy  the  position  of  gentlemen  touching  the 
delicate  object  of  our  mission." 

We  made  no  reply,  but  allowed  the  gentleman  to  become 
embarrassed  with  his  delicacy. 

"  Gentlemen,"  continued  he,  "  there  is  not  the  remotest 
doubt  but  that  Captain  MacElwin  is  in  the  wrong.  That 
gentleman  has  unreasonably,  and  without  the  slightest  pre- 
text, questioned  the  honor  of  Harry  Drake's  proceedings 
in  a  matter  of  play,  and  without  any  provocation  offered 
him  the  greatest  insult  a  gentleman  could  receive." 

These  honeyed  words  made  the  captain  impatient,  he  bit 
his  mustache,  and  could  refrain  speaking  no  longer.  "  Come 

to  the  point,"   said  he  sharply  to  Doctor  T ,   whose 

speech  he  had  interrupted,  "  we  don't  want  so  many  words; 
the  affair  is  simple  enough;  Captain  MacElwin  raised  his 
hand  against  Mr.  Drake,  your  friend  accepted  the  blow,  he 
assumes  the  part  of  the  offended,  and  demands  satisfaction. 
He  has  the  choice  of  arms.     What  next?  " 

"Does  Captain  MacElwin  accept  the  challenge?"  asked 
the  Doctor,  baffled  by  Corsican's  tone. 

"  Decidedly." 

"  Our  friend,  Harry  Drake,  has  chosen  swords." 

"  Very  well,  and  where  is  the  engagement  to  take  place? 
In  New  York?  " 

"  No,  here  on  board." 

"  On  board,  be  it  so ;  at  -.vHat  time'H  To-morrow  morn- 
ing?" 

"  This  evening  at  six  o'clock,  at  the  end  of  the  upper 
deck,  which  v/ill  be  deserted  at  that  time." 


A    SAILOR'S   BURIAL  y^ 

"Very  well."  Thus  saying,  the  captain  took  my  arm, 
and  turned  his  back  on  Doctor  T . 

It  was  no  longer  possible  to  put  off  the  duel.  Only  a 
few  hours  separated  us  from  the  moment  when  Fabian  and 
Harry  Drake  must  meet.  What  could  be  the  reason  of 
this  haste?  How  was  it  that  Harry  Drake  had  not  delayed 
the  duel  until  he  and  his  enemy  had  disembarked  ?  Was  it 
because  this  ship,  freighted  by  a  French  company,  seemed 
to  him  the  most  favorable  ground  for  a  meeting  which 
must  be  a  deadly  struggle?  Or  rather,  might  not  Drake 
have  a  secret  interest  in  freeing  himself  of  Fabian  before 
the  latter  could  set  foot  on  the  American  continent,  or  sus- 
pect the  presence  of  Ellen  on  board,  which  he  must  have 
thought  was  unknown  to  all  save  himself?  Yes,  it  must 
have  been  for  this  reason.  "  Little  matter,  after  all,"  said 
the  captain ;  "  far  better  to  have  it  over." 

"  Shall  I  ask  Doctor  Pitferge  to  be  present  at  the  duel 
as  a  doctor?  " 

"  Yes,  it  would  be  well  to  do  so." 

Corsican  left  me  to  go  to  Fabian.  At  this  moment  the 
bell  on  deck  began  tolling,  and  when  I  inquired  of  a  steers- 
man the  reason  of  this  unusual  occurrence,  he  told  me  that 
it  was  for  the  burial  of  the  sailor  who  had  died  in  the  night, 
and  that  the  sad  ceremony  was  about  to  take  place.  The 
sky,  until  now  so  clear,  became  overcast,  and  dark  clouds 
loomed  threateningly  in  the  south. 

At  the  sound  of  the  bell  the  passengers  flocked  to  the 
starboard  side.  The  bridges,  paddle-boards,  bulwarks, 
masts  and  shore-boats,  hanging  from  their  davits,  were 
crowded  with  spectators,  the  officers,  sailors,  and  stokers 
off  duty,  stood  in  ranks  on  deck. 

At  two  o'clock  a  group  of  sailors  appeared  at  the  far 
end  of  the  upper  deck,  they  had  left  the  hospital,  and  were 
passing  the  rudder  engine.  The  corpse,  sewn  in  a  piece  of 
sail  and  stretched  on  a  board,  with  a  cannon  ball  at  the 
feet,  was  carried  by  four  men.  The  body,  covered  with  the 
British  flag,  and  followed  by  the  dead  man's  comrades, 
slowly  advanced  into  the  midst  of  the  spectators,  who  un- 
covered their  heads  as  the  procession  passed.  On  their 
arrival  at  the  starboard  paddle-wheel,  the  corpse  was  de- 
posited on  a  landing  of  a  staircase  which  terminated  at  the 
main  deck. 


74  A    FLOATING   CITY 

In  front  of  the  row  of  spectators,  standing  one  above 
the  other,  were  Captain  Anderson  and  his  principal  officers 
in  full  uniform.  The  captain,  holding  a  prayer  book  in 
his  hand,  took  his  hat  off,  and  for  some  minutes,  during  a 
profound  silence,  which  not  even  the  breeze  interrupted,  he 
solemnly  read  the  prayer  for  the  dead,  every  word  of  which 
was  distinctly  audible  in  the  deathlike  silence.  On  a 
sign  from  the  captain,  the  body,  released  by  the  bearers, 
sank  into  the  sea.  For  one  moment  it  floated  on  the 
surface,  became  upright,  and  then  disappeared  in  a  circle  of 
foam. 

At  this  moment  the  voice  of  the  sailor  on  watch  was 
heard  crying  "  Land ! " 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

LAND  IN  SIGHT 

The  land  announced  at  the  moment  when  the  sea  was 
closing  over  the  corpse  of  the  poor  sailor  was  low-lying 
and  of  a  yellow  color.  This  line  of  slightly  elevated  downs 
was  Long  Island,  a  great  sandy  bank  enlivened  with  vege- 
tation, which  stretches  along  the  American  coast  from  Mon- 
tauk  Point  to  Brooklyn,  adjoining  New  York.  Several 
yachts  were  coasting  along  this  island,  which  is  covered 
with  villas  and  pleasure  houses,  the  favorite  resorts  of  the 
New  Yorkers. 

Every  passenger  waved  his  hand  to  the  land  so  longed 
for  after  the  tedious  voyage,  which  had  not  been  exempt 
from  painful  accidents.  Every  telescope  was  directed 
towards  this  first  specimen  of  the  American  continent,  and 
each  saw  it  under  a  different  aspect.  The  Yankee  beheld 
in  it  his  mother-land;  the  Southerner  regarded  these  north- 
ern lands  with  a  kind  of  scorn,  the  scorn  of  the  conquered 
for  the  conqueror;  the  Canadian  looked  upon  it  as  a  man 
who  had  only  one  step  to  take  to  call  himself  a  citizen  of 
the  Union;  the  Calif ornian  in  his  mind's  eye  traversed  the 
plains  of  the  far  west,  and  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains 
had  already  set  foot  on  their  inexhaustible  mines.  The 
Mormonite,  with  elevated  brow  and  scornful  lip,  hardly 
noticed  these  shores,  but  peered  beyond  to  where  stood  the 
City  of  the  Saints  on  the  borders  of  Salt  Lake,  in  the  far-off 


LAND    IN    SIGHT 


75 


deserts.     As  for  the  young  lovers,  this  continent  was  to 
them  the  Promised  Land. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  sky  was  growing  more  and  more 
threatening.  A  dark  line  of  clouds  gathered  in  the  zenith, 
and  a  suffocating  heat  penetrated  the  atmosphere  as  though 
a  July  sun  was  shining  directly  above  us.  "  Would  you 
like  me  to  astonish  you?  "  said  the  Doctor,  who  had  joined 
me  on  the  gangway. 

"Astonish  me,  Doctor.?" 

"  Well,  then,  we  shall  have  a  storm,  perhaps  a  thunder- 
storm, before  the  day  is  over." 

,    "  A  thunder-storm  in  the  month  of  April !  "  I  cried  with 
surprise. 

"  The  Great  Eastern  does  not  trouble  herself  about  sea- 
sons," replied  Dean  Pitferge,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  It 
is  a  tempest  called  forth  expressly  on  her  account.  Look 
at  the  threatening  aspect  of  those  clouds  which  cover  the 
sky;  they  look  like  antediluvian  animals,  and  before  long 
they  will  devour  each  other." 

"  I  confess,"  said  I,  "  the  sky  looks  stormy,  and  were  it 
three  months  later  I  should  be  of  your  opinion,  but  not  at 
this  time  of  year." 

"  I  tell  you,"  replied  the  Doctor,  growing  animated,  "  the 
storm  will  burst  out  before  many  hours  are  past.  I  feel 
it  like  a  barometer.  Look  at  those  vapors  rising  in  mass, 
observe  that  cirrus,  those  mares'  tails  which  are  blending 
together,  and  those  thick  circles  which  surround  the  horizon. 
Soon  there  will  be  a  rapid  condensing  of  vapor,  which  will 
consequently  produce  electricity.  Besides,  the  mercury  has 
suddenly  fallen,  and  the  prevailing  wind  is  southwest,  the 
only  one  which  can  brew  a  storm  in  winter." 

"  Your  observations  may  be  very  true.  Doctor,"  said  I, 
not  willing  to  yield,  "  but  who  has  ever  witnessed  a  thun- 
der-storm at  this  season,  and  in  this  latitude?  " 

"  We  have  proof,  sir,  we  have  proof  on  record.  Mild 
winters  are  often  marked  by  storms.  You  ought  only  to 
have  lived  in  1772,  or  even  in  1824,  and  you  would  have 
heard  the  roaring  of  the  thunder,  in  the  first  instance  in 
February,  and  in  the  second  in  December.  In  the  month 
of  January,  1837,  a  thunder-bolt  fell  near  Drammen  in 
Norway,  and  did  considerable  mischief.  Last  year,  in  the 
month   of    February,   fishing-smacks    from   Treport   were 


76  A   FLOATING   CITY 

struck  by  lightning.  If  I  had  time  to  consult  statistics  I 
would  soon  put  you  to  silence." 

"  Well,  Doctor,  since  you  will  have  it  so,  we  shall  soon 
see.     At  any  rate,  you  are  not  afraid  of  thunder?  " 

"  Not  I,"  replied  the  Doctor.  "  The  thunder  is  m)^ 
friend;  better  still,  it  is  my  doctor/' 

"Your  doctor?" 

"  Most  certainly.  I  was  struck  by  lightning  in  my  bed 
on  the  13th  July,  1867,  at  Kew,  near  London,  and  it  cured 
me  of  paralysis  in  my  right  arm,  when  the  doctors  had 
given  up  the  case  as  hopeless." 

"  You  must  be  joking." 

"  Not  at  all.  It  is  an  economical  treatment  by  elec- 
tricity. My  dear  sir,  there  are  many  very  authentic  facts 
which  prove  that  thunder  surpasses  the  most  skillful  physi- 
cians, and  its  intervention  is  truly  marvelous  in  apparently 
hopeless  cases." 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  I,  "  I  have  little  trust  in  your  doc- 
tor, and  would  not  willingly  consult  him." 

"  Because  you  have  never  seen  him  at  work.  Stay ;  here 
is  an  instance  which  I  have  heard  of  as  occurring  in  181 7. 
A  peasant  in  Connecticut,  who  was  suffering  from  asthma, 
supposed  to  be  incurable,  was  struck  by  lightning  in  a  field, 
and  radically  cured." 

I  believe  the  Doctor  would  have  liked  to  make  the  thunder 
into  pills.  "  Laugh,  ignoramus !  "  said  he  to  me.  "  You 
know  nothing  either  of  the  weather  or  medicine! " 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

A  STORM  BREWING 

Dean  Pitferge  left  me,  but  I  remained  on  deck,  watch- 
ing the  storm  rise.  Corsican  was  still  closeted  with  Fabian, 
who  was  undoubtedly  making  some  arrangements  in  case 
of  misfortune.  I  then  remembered  that  he  had  a  sister 
in  New  York,  and  I  shuddered  at  the  thought  that  perhaps 
we  should  have  to  carry  to  her  the  news  of  her  brother's 
death.  I  should  like  to  have  seen  Fabian,  but  I  thought  it 
better  not  to  disturb  either  him  or  Captain  Corsican. 

At  four  o'clock  we  came  in  sight  of  land  stretching  be- 
fore Long  Island.     It  was  Fire  Island.     In  the  center  rose 


A   STORM    BREWING  -jy 

a  lighthouse,  which  shone  over  the  surrounding  land.  The 
passengers  again  invaded  the  upper  decks  and  bridges.  All 
eyes  were  strained  towards  the  coast,  distant  about  six 
miles.  They  were  waiting  for  the  moment  when  the  ar- 
rival of  the  pilot  should  settle  the  great  pool  business.  It 
may  be  thought  that  those  who  had  night  quarters,  and  I 
was  of  the  number,  had  given  up  all  pretensions,  and  that 
those  with  the  day  quarters,  except  those  included  between 
four  and  six  o'clock,  had  no  longer  any  chance.  Before 
night  the  pilot  would  come  on  board  and  settle  this  affair, 
so  that  all  the  interest  was  now  concentrated  in  the  seven 
or  eight  persons  to  whom  fate  had  attributed  the  next  quar- 
ters. The  latter  were  taking  advantage  of  their  good  luck 
' — selling,  buying,  and  reselling  their  chances,  bartering  with 
such  energy  one  might  almost  have  faniced  oneself  in  the 
Royal  Exchange. 

At  sixteen  minutes  past  four  a  small  schooner,  bearing 
towards  the  steamship,  was  signaled  to  starboard.  There 
was  no  longer  any  possible  doubt  of  its  being  the  pilot's 
boat,  and  he  would  be  on  board  in  fourteen  or  fifteen  min- 
utes at  the  most.  The  struggle  was  now  between  the 
possessors  of  the  second  and  third  quarters  from  four 
to  five  o'clock.  Demands  and  offers  were  made  with  re- 
newed vivacity.  Then  absurd  wagers  were  laid  even  on 
the  pilot's  person,  the  tenor  of  which  I  have  faithfully 
given. 

"  Ten  dollars  that  the  pilot  is  married." 
Twenty  that  he  is  a  widower." 
Thirty  dollars  that  he  has  a  mustache." 
Sixty  that  he  has  a  wart  on  his  nose." 
A  hundred  dollars  that  he  will  step  on  board  with  his 
right  foot  first." 

"  He  will  smoke." 

"  He  will  have  a  pipe  in  his  mouth." 

"No!  a  cigar." 

"No!"     "Yes!"     "No!" 

And  twenty  other  wagers  quite  as  ridiculous,  which 
found  those  more  absurd  still  to  accept  them. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  little  schooner  was  sensibly  ap- 
proaching the  steamship,  and  we  could  distinguish  her 
graceful  proportions.  These  charming  little  pilot  boats,  of 
about  fifty  or  sixty  tons,  are  good  sea  boats,   skimming 


« 


78  A   FLOATING   CITY 

over  the  water  like  sea-gulls.  The  schooner,  gracefully  in- 
clined, was  bearing  windward  in  spite  of  the  breeze,  which 
had  begun  to  freshen.  Her  mast  and  foresails  stood  out 
clearly  against  the  dark  background  of  clouds,  and  the  sea 
foamed  beneath  her  bows.  When  at  two  cables'  length 
from  the  Great  Eastern,  she  suddenly  veered  and  launched 
a  shore-boat.  Captain  Anderson  gave  orders  to  heave  to, 
and  for  the  first  time  during  a  fortnight  the  wheels  of  the 
screw  were  motionless.  A  man  got  into  the  boat,  which 
four  sailors  quickly  pulled  to  the  steamship.  A  rope  lad- 
der was  thrown  over  the  side  of  the  giant  down  to  the 
pilot  in  his  little  nutshell,  which  the  latter  caught,  and, 
skillfully  climbing,  sprang  on  deck. 

He  was  received  with  joyous  cries  by  the  winners,  and 
exclamations  of  disappointment  from  the  losers.  The  pool 
was  regulated  by  the  following  statements : 

"  The  pilot  was  married." 

"  He  had  no  wart  on  his  nose." 

"  He  had  a  light  mustache." 

**  He  had  jumped  on  board  with  both  feet." 

"  Lastly,  it  was  thirty-six  minutes  past  four  o'clock  when 
he  set  foot  on  the  deck  of  the  Great  Eastern." 

^  The  possessor  of  the  thirty-third  quarter  thus  gained  the 
ninety-six  dollars,  and  it  was  Captain  Corsican,  who  had 
hardly  thought  of  the  unexpected  gain.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  appeared  on  deck,  and  when  the  podl  was  pre- 
sented to  him,  he  begged  Captain  Anderson  to  keep  it  for 
the  widow  of  the  young  sailor  whose  death  had  been  caused 
by  the  inroad  of  the  sea.  The  captain  shook  his  hand  with- 
out saying  a  word,  but  a  moment  afterwards  a  sailor  came 
up  to  Corsican,  and,  bowing  awkwardly,  "  Sir,"  said  he, 
"  my  mates  have  sent  me  to  say  that  you  are  a  very  kind 
gentleman,  and  they  all  thank  you  in  the  name  of  poor  Wil- 
son, who  cannot  thank  you  for  himself." 

The  captain,  moved  by  the  rough  sailor's  speech,  silently 
pressed  his  hand. 

As  for  the  pilot,  he  was  a  man  of  short  stature,  with 
not  much  of  the  sailor-look  about  him.  He  wore  a  glazed 
hat,  black  trousers,  a  brown  overcoat  lined  with  red,  and 
carried  an  umbrella.  He  was  master  on  board  now.  In 
springing  on  deck,  before  he  went  to  the  bridge,  he  had 
thrown  a  bundle  of  papers  among  the  passengers,   whQ 


A    STORM    BREWING  79 

eagerly  pounced  on  them.  They  were  European  and  Amer- 
ican journals — the  political  and  civil  bonds  which  again 
united  the  Great  Eastern  to  the  two  continents. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A  DUEL  WITH  SWORDS 

The  storm  was  gathering,  and  a  black  arch  of  clouds 
had  formed  over  our  heads;  the  atmosphere  was  misty; 
nature  was  evidently  about  to  justify  Dr.  Pitferge's  pre- 
sentiments. The  steamship  had  slackened  her  speed,  and 
the  wheels  only  made  three  or  four  revolutions  a  minute; 
volumes  of  white  steam  escaped  from  the  half-open  valves, 
the  anchor-chains  were  cleared,  and  the  British  flag  floated 
from  the  mainmast;  these  arrangements  Captain  Anderson 
had  made  preparatory  to  mooring.  The  pilot,  standing  on 
the  top  of  the  starboard  paddle,  guided  the  steamship 
through  the  narrow  passages  with  skill;  but  the  tide  was 
already  turning,  so  that  the  Great  Eastern  could  not  yet 
cross  the  bar  of  the  Hudson,  and  we  must  wait  till 
next  day. 

At  a  quarter  to  five  by  the  pilot's  orders  the  anchors  were 
let  go;  the  chains  rattled  through  the  hawse-holes  with  a 
noise  like  thunder.  I  even  thought  for  a  moment  that  the 
storm  had  burst  forth.  When  the  anchors  were  firmly  em- 
bedded in  the  sand,  the  Great  Eastern  swung  round  by  the 
ebb  tide,  remained  motionless,  and  not  a  wave  disturbed 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

At  this  moment  the  steward's  trumpet  sounded  for  the 
last  time;  it  called  the  passengers  to  their  farewell  dinner. 
The  "  Society  of  Freighters  "  would  be  prodigal  with  the 
champagne,  and  no  one  wished  to  be  absent.  An  hour 
later  the  saloons  were  crowded  with  guests,  and  the  deck 
deserted. 

However,  seven  persons  left  their  places  unoccupied ;  the 
two  adversaries,  who  were  going  to  stake  their  lives  in  a 
duel,  the  four  seconds,  and  the  Doctor,  who  was  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  engagement.  The  time  and  the  place  for  the  meet- 
ing had  been  well  chosen;  there  was  not  a  creature  on  deck; 
the  passengers  were  in  the  dining-rooms,  the  sailors  in  their 
berths,  the  officers  absorbed  with  their  own  particular  bot- 


So  A    FLOATING   CITY 

ties,  and  not  a  steersman  on  board,  for  the  ship  was  motion- 
less at  anchor. 

At  ten  minutes  past  five  the  Doctor  and  I  were  joined 
by  Fabian  and  Captain  Corsican.  I  had  not  seen  Fabian 
since  the  scene  in  the  smoking-room.  He  seemed  to  me 
sad,  but  very  calm.  The  thought  of  the  duel  troubled  him 
little,  apparently;  his  mind  was  elsewhere,  and  his  eyes 
wandered  restlessly  in  search  of  Ellen.  He  held  out  his 
hand  to  me  without  saying  a  word. 

"  Has  not  Harry  Drake  arrived  ?  "  asked  the  captain 
of  me. 

^*  Not  yet,"  I  replied. 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  stern;  that  is  the  place  of  rendezvous." 

Fabian,  Captain  Corsican,  and  I  walked  along  the  upper 
decks;  the  sky  was  growing  dark;  we  heard  the  distant 
roar  of  thunder  rumbling  along  the  horizon.  It  was  like 
a  monotonous  bass,  enlivened  by  the  hips  and  hurrahs  is- 
suing from  the  saloons;  flashes  of  lightning  darted  through 
the  black  clouds,  and  the  atmosphere  was  powerfully 
charged  with  electricity. 

At  twenty  minutes  past  five  Harry  Drake  and  his  sec- 
onds made  their  appearance.  The  gentlemen  bowed  to  us, 
which  honor  we  strictly  returned.  Drake  did  not  utter  a 
word,  but  his  face  showed  signs  of  ill-concealed  excite- 
ment. He  cast  a  look  of  maHgnant  hatred  on  Fabian;  but 
the  latter,  leaning  against  the  hatchway,  did  not  even  see 
him;  so  absorbed  was  he  in  a  profound  meditation,  he 
seemed  not  yet  to  have  thought  of  the  part  he  was  to  pla)/; 
in  this  drama. 

In  the  meanwhile  Captain  Corsican,  addressing  himself 
to  the  Yankee,  one  of  Drake's  seconds,  asked  him  for  the 
swords,  which  the  latter  presented  to  him.  They  were 
battle  swords,  the  basket-hilts  of  which  entirely  protected 
the  hand  which  held  them.  Corsican  took  them,  bent,  and 
measured  them,  and  then  allowed  the  Yankee  to  choose. 
Whilst  these  preparations  were  being  made,  Harry  Drake 
had  taken  off  his  hat  and  jacket,  unbuttoned  his  shirt,  and 
turned  up  his  sleeves;  then  he  seized  his  sword,  and  I  saw 
that  he  was  left  handed,  which  gave  him,  accustomed  to 
right  handed  antagonists,  an  unquestionable  advantage. 

Fabian  had  not  yet  left  the  place  where  he  was  standing. 
One  would  have  thought  that  these  preparations  had  noth- 

V.  Vll  V«rQa 


A    DUEL   WITH    SWORDS  8i 

ing  to  do  with  him.  Captain  Corsican  went  up  to  him, 
touched  him,  and  showed  him  the  sword.  Fabian  looked 
at  the  ghttering  steel,  and  it  seemed  as  if  memory  came 
back  suddenly.  He  grasped  his  sword  with  a  firm  hand. 
"  Right!  "  he  murmured;  "  I  remember!  " 

Then  he  placed  himself  opposite  Harry  Drake,  who  im- 
mediately assumed  the  defensive. 

"  Proceed,  gentlemen,"  said  the  captain. 

They  immediately  crossed  swords.  From  the  first  clash- 
ing of  steel,  several  rapid  passes  on  both  sides,  certain  ex- 
trications, parries,  and  thrusts  proved  to  me  the  equality 
in  strength  of  the  opponents.  I  augured  well  for  Fabian. 
He  was  cool,  self-possessed,  and  almost  indifferent  to  the 
struggle;  certainly  less  affected  by  it  than  were  his  own 
seconds.  Harry  Drake,  on  the  contrary,  scowled  at  him 
with  flashing  eyes  and  clenched  teeth,  his  head  bent  for- 
ward, and  his  whole  countenance  indicative  of  a  hatred 
which  deprived  him  of  all  composure.  He  had  come  there 
to  kill,  and  kill  he  would. 

After  the  first  engagement,  which  lasted  some  minutes, 
swords  were  lowered.  With  the  exception  of  a  slight 
scratch  on  Fabian's  arm,  neither  of  the  combatants  had 
been  wounded.  They  rested,  and  Drake  wiped  off  the 
perspiration  with  which  his  face  was  bathed. 

The  storm  now  burst  forth  in  all  its  fury.  The  thunder 
was  continuous,  and  broke  out  in  loud  deafening  reports; 
the  atmosphere  was  charged  with  electricity  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  swords  were  gilded  with  luminous  crests, 
like  lightning  conductors  in  the  midst  of  thunder  clouds. 

After  a  few  moments'  rest,  Corsican  again  gave  the 
signal  to  proceed,  and  Fabian  and  Harry  Drake  again  fell 
to  work. 

This  time  the  fight  was  much  more  animated;  Fabian 
defending  himself  with  astounding  calmness,  Drake  madly 
attacking  him.  Several  times  I  expected  a  stroke  from 
Fabian,  which  was  not  even  attempted. 

Suddenly,  after  some  quick  passes,  Drake  made  a  rapid 
stroke.  I  thought  that  Fabian  must  have  been  struck  in 
the  chest,  but,  warding  off  the  blow,  he  struck  Harry  Drake's 
sword  smartly.  The  latter  raised  and  covered  himself 
by  a  swift  semi-circle;  whilst  the  lightning  rent  the  clouds 
overhead. 


82  A   FLOATING   CITY 

Suddenly,  and  without  anything  to  explain  this  strange 
surrender  of  himself,  Fabian  dropped  his  sword.  Had  he 
been  mortally  wounded  without  our  noticing  it?  The 
blood  rushed  wildly  to  my  heart  Fabian's  eyes  had  grown 
singularly  animated. 

"  Defend  yourself,"  roared  Drake,  drawing  himself  up 
like  a  tiger  ready  to  spring  onto  his  prey. 

I  thought  that  it  was  all  over  with  Fabian,  disarmed  as  he 
was.  Corsican  threw  himself  between  him  and  his  enemy, 
to  prevent  the  latter  from  striking  a  defenseless  man;  but 
now  Harry  Drake  in  his  turn  stood  motionless. 

I  turned,  and  saw  Ellen,  pale  as  death,  her  hands 
stretched  out,  coming  towards  the  duelists.  Fabian,  fasci- 
nated by  this  apparition,  remained  perfectly  still. 

"  You !  you !  "  cried  Harry  Drake  to  Ellen ;  "  you  here !  " 

His  uplifted  blade  gleamed  as  though  on  fire;  one  might 
have  said  it  was  the  sword  of  the  archangel  Michael  in  the 
hands  of  a  demon. 

Suddenly  a  brilliant  flash  of  lightning  lit  up  the  whole 
stern.  I  was  almost  knocked  down,  and  felt  suffocated,  for 
the  air  was  filled  with  sulphur;  but  by  a  powerful  effort  I 
regained  my  senses.  I  had  fallen  on  one  knee,  but  I  got  up 
and  looked  around.  Ellen  was  leaning  on  Fabian.  Harry 
Drake  seemed  petrified,  and  remained  in  the  same  position, 
but  his  face  had  grown  black. 

Had  the  unhappy  man  been  struck  when  attracting  the 
lightning  with  his  blade.?  Ellen  left  Fabian,  and  went  up 
to  Drake  with  her  face  full  of  holy  compassion.  She  placed 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder;  even  this  light  touch  was  enough 
to  disturb  the  equilibrium,  and  Drake  fell  to  the  ground  a 
corpse.  Ellen  bent  over  the  body,  whilst  we  drew  back, 
terrified.     The  wretched  Harry  Drake  was  dead. 

"  Struck  by  lightning,"  said  Dean  Pitferge,  catching  hold 
of  my  arm.  "  Struck  by  lightning!  Ah !  will  you  not  now 
believe  in  the  intervention  of  thunder?  " 

Had  Harry  Drake  indeed  been  struck  by  lightning  as 
Dean  Pitferge  affirmed,  or  rather,  as  the  doctor  on  board 
said,  had  a  blood-vessel  broken  in  his  chest?  I  can  only 
say  there  was  nothing  now  but  a  corpse  before  our  eyes. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE  STATISTICIAN  TO  THE  FRONT 

The  next  day,  Tuesday,  the  9th  of  April,  the  Great 
Eastern  weighed  anchor,  and  set  sail  to  enter  the  Hud- 
son, the  pilot  guiding  her  with  an  unerring  eye.  The  storm 
had  spent  itself  in  the  night,  and  the  last  black  clouds  dis- 
appeared below  the  horizon.  The  aspect  of  the  sea  was 
enlivened  by  a  flotilla  of  schooners,  waiting  along  the  coast 
for  the  breeze.  A  small  steamer  came  alongside,  and  we 
were  boarded  by  the  officer  of  the  New  York  sanitary  com- 
missioners. 

It  was  not  long  before  we  passed  the  light-boat  whicli 
marks  the  channels  of  the  Hudson,  and  ranged  near  Sandy 
Hook  Point,  where  a  group  of  spectators  greeted  us  with  a 
volley  of  hurrahs. 

When  the  Great  Eastern  had  gone  round  the  interior 
bay  formed  by  Sandy  Hook  Point,  through  the  flotilla  of 
fishing-smacks,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  verdant  heights 
of  New  Jersey,  the  enormous  forts  on  the  bay,  then  the 
low  line  of  the  great  city  stretching  between  the  Hudson 
and  East  river. 

In  another  hour,  after  having  ranged  opposite  the  New 
York  quays,  the  Great  Eastern  was  moored  in  the  Hudson, 
and  the  anchors  became  entangled  in  the  submarine  cable, 
which  must  necessarily  be  broken  on  her  departure. 

Then  began  the  disembarkation  of  all  my  fellow- voyagers 
whom  I  should  never  see  again:  Californians,  Southerners, 
Mormonites,  and  the  young  lovers.  I  was  waiting  for 
Fabian  and  Corsican. 

I  had  been  obliged  to  inform  Captain  Anderson  of  the 
incidents  relating  to  the  duel  which  had  taken  place  on 
board.  The  doctors  made  their  report,  and  nothing  what- 
ever having  been  found  wrong  in  the  death  of  Harry  Drake, 
orders  were  given  that  the  last  duties  might  be  rendered  to 
him  on  land. 

At  this  moment  Cockburn,  the  statistician,  who  had  not 
spoken  to  me  the  whole  of  the  voyage,  came  up  and  said: 
"  Do  you  know,  sir,  how  many  turns  the  wheels  have  made 
during  our  passage.? " 

"  I  do  not,  sir." 

"  One  hundred  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  twenty- 
three." 

83 


84  A   FLOATING   CITY 

"  Ah !  really  sir,  and  the  screw  ?  " 

"  Six  hundred  and  eight  thousand,  one  hundred  and 
thirty." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,  for  the  information." 

And  the  statistician  left  me  without  any  farewell  whatever. 

Fabian  and  Corsican  joined  me  at  this  moment.  Fabian 
pressed  my  hand  warmly.  "  Ellen,"  said  he  to  me,  "  Ellen 
will  recover.  Her  reason  came  back  to  her  for  a  moment. 
Ah!  God  is  just,  and  He  will  restore  her  wholly  to  us." 

Whilst  thus  speaking,  Fabian  smiled  as  he  thought  of  the 
future.  As  for  Captain  Corsican,  he  kissed  me  heartily 
without  any  ceremony.  "  Good-by,  good-by,  we  shall  see 
you  again,"  he  cried  to  me,  when  he  had  taken  his  place  in 
the  tender  where  were  Fabian  and  Ellen,  under  the  care  of 

Mrs.  R ,  Captain  MacElwin's  sister,  who  had  come  to 

meet  her  brother. 

Then  the  tender  sheered  off,  taking  the  first  convoy  of 
passengers  to  the  Custom  House  pier.  I  watched  them  as 
they  went  farther  and  farther  away,  and,  seeing  Ellen 
sitting  between  Fabian  and  his  sister,  I  could  not  doubt  that 
care,  devotion,  and  love  would  restore  to  this  poor  mind 
the  reason  of  v^'hich  grief  had  robbed  it. 

Just  then  someone  took  hold  of  my  arm,  and  I  knew  it 
was  Dr.  Pitferge.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  and  what  is  going  to 
become  of  you?  " 

"  My  idea  was.  Doctor,  since  the  Great  Eastern  remains 
a  hundred  and  ninety-two  hours  at  New  York,  and  as  I 
must  return  with  her,  to  spend  the  hundred  and  ninety-two 
hours  in  America.  Certainly  it  is  but  a  week,  but  a  week 
well  spent  is,  perhaps,  long  enough  to  see  New  York,  the 
Hudson,  the  Mohawk  Valley,  Lake  Erie,  Niagara,  and  all 
the  country  made  familiar  by  Cooper." 

"  Ah !  you  are  going  to  Niagara !  "  cried  Dean  Pitferge. 
"  I  declare  I  should  not  be  sorry  to  see  it  again,  and  if  my 
proposal  does  not  seem  disagreeable  to  you " 

The  worthy  Doctor  amused  me  with  his  crotchets.  I  had 
taken  a  fancy  to  him,  and  here  was  a  well-instructed  guide 
placed  at  my  service.     "  That's  settled  then,"  said  I  to  him. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  we  embarked  on  the  tender 
and  at  three  o'clock  were  comfortably  lodged  in  two  rooms 
of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

A   WEEK   IN   AMERICA 

'A  WEEK  to  Spend  in  America!  The  Great  Eastern  was 
to  set  sail  on  the  i6th  of  April,  and  it  was  now  the  9th, 
and  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  set  foot  on  the 
land  of  the  Union.  A  week!  There  are  furious  tourists 
and  express  travelers  who  would  probably  find  this  time 
enough  to  visit  the  whole  of  North  America ;  but  I  had  no 
such  pretension,  not  even  to  visit  New  York  thoroughly,  and 
to  write,  after  this  extra  rapid  inspection,  a  book  on  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  Americans.  But  the  consti- 
tution and  physical  aspect  of  New  York  is  soon  seen;  it 
is  hardly  more  varied  than  a  chess-board.  The  streets,  cut 
at  right  angles,  are  called  avenues  when  they  are  straight, 
and  streets  when  irregular.  The  numbers  on  the  prin- 
cipal thoroughfares  are  a  very  practical  but  monotonous 
arrangement.  American  cars  run  through  all  the  avenues. 
Anyone  who  has  seen  one  quarter  of  New  York  knows 
the  whole  of  the  great  city,  except,  perhaps,  that  intricacy 
of  streets  and  confused  alleys  appropriated  by  the  com- 
mercial population. 

New  York  is  built  on  a  tongue  of  land,  and  all  its 
activity  is  centered  on  the  end  of  that  tongue;  on  either 
side  extend  the  Hudson  and  East  Rivers,  arms  of  the  sea, 
in  fact,  on  which  ships  are  seen  and  ferry-boats  ply,  con- 
necting the  town  on  the  right  hand  with  Brooklyn,  and  on 
the  left  with  the  shores  of  New  Jersey. 

A  single  artery  intersects  the  symmetrical  quarters  of 
New  York,  and  that  is  old  Broadway,  like  the  Strand  of 
London,  and  the  Boulevard  Montmartre  of  Paris;  hardly 
passable  at  its  lower  end,  where  it  is  crowded  with  people, 
and  almost  deserted  higher  up;  a  street  where  sheds  and 
marble  palaces  are  huddled  together;  a  stream  of  carriages, 
omnibuses,  cabs,  drays,  and  wagons,  with  the  pave- 
ment for  its  banks,  across  which  a  bridge  had  been  thrown 
for  the  traffic  of  foot  passengers.  Broadway  is  New  York, 
and  it  was  there  that  the  Doctor  and  I  walked  until 
evening. 

After  having  dined  at  tHe  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  I  ended 
my  day's  work  by  going  to  the  Barnum  Theater,  where  they 
were  acting  a  play  called  "  The  Streets  of  New  York." 
which  attracted  a  large  audience.     In  the  fourth  act  there 

85 


B6  A   FLOATING   CITY 

was  a  fire,  and  real  fire-engines,  worked  by  real  firemen; 
hence  the  "  great  attraction." 

The  next  morning  I  left  the  Doctor  to  his  own  affairs, 
and  agreed  to  meet  him  at  the  hotel  at  two  o'clock.     I  went 

to  No.  25,  Thirty-sixth  Street,  where  resided  Mrs.  R , 

Fabian's  sister.  I  was  impatient  to  get  news  of  Ellen  and 
my  two   friends;  and  here  I   learnt  that,   following  the 

Doctor's  advice,  Mrs.  R ,  Fabian,  and  Corsican  had  left 

New  York,  taking  with  them  the  young  lady,  thinking  that 
the  air  and  quiet  of  the  country  might  have  a  beneficial 
effect  on  her.  A  line  from  Captain  Corsican  informed  me 
of  this  sudden  departure.  The  kind  fellow  had  been  to  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  without  meeting  me,  but  he  promised 
to  keep  me  acquainted  with  their  whereabouts.  They 
thought  of  stopping  at  the  first  place  that  attracted  Ellen's 
attention,  and  staying  there  as  long  as  the  charm  lasted ;  he 
hoped  that  I  should  not  leave  without  bidding  them  a  last 
farewell.  Yes,  were  it  but  for  a  few  hours,  I  should  be 
happy  to  see  Ellen,  Fabian,  and  Corsican  once  again.  But 
such  are  the  drawbacks  of  traveling,  hurried  as  I  was,  they 
gone  and  I  going,  each  our  separate  ways,  it  seemed  hardly 
likely  I  should  see  them  again. 

At  two  o'clock  I  returned  to  the  hotel,  and  found  the 
Doctor  in  the  bar-room,  which  was  full  of  people.     It  is 
a  public  hall,  where  travelers  and  passers-by  mingled  to- 
gether, finding  gratis  iced-water,  biscuits,  and  cheese. 
"Well,  Doctor,"  said  I,  "when  shall  we  start?" 
"  At  six  o'clock  this  evening." 
"  Shall  we  take  the  Hudson  railroad?  " 
"  No ;  the  St.  John;  a  wonderful  steamer,  another  world 
' — a  Great  Eastern  of  the  river.     I  should  have  preferred 
showing  you  the  Hudson  by  daylight,  but  the  St.  John  only 
goes  at  night.     To-morrow,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
we  shall  be  at  Albany.     At  six  o'clock  we  shall  take  the 
New  York  Central  Railroad,  and  in  the  evening  we  shall 
sup  at  Niagara  Falls." 

I  did  not  discuss  the  Doctor's  programme,  but  accepted 
it  willingly.  The  hotel  lift  hoisted  us  to  our  rooms,  and 
some  minutes  later  we  descended  with  our  tourist  knap- 
sacks. A  fly  took  us  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to  the  pier  on 
the  Hudson,  before  which  was  the  St.  John,  the  chimneys 
of  which  were  already  crowned  with  wreaths  of  smoke. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

ON   THE   HUDSON   RIVER 

The  St.  John,  and  its  sister  ship,  the  Dean  Richmond, 
are  two  of  the  finest  steamships  on  the  river.  They  are 
buildings  rather  than  boats;  terraces  rise  one  above  an- 
other, with  galleries  and  verandas.  One  would  almost 
have  thought  it  was  a  gardener's  floating  plantation.  There 
are  twenty  flag-staffs,  fastened  with  iron  tressings,  which 
consolidate  the  whole  building.  The  two  enormous  paddle- 
boxes  are  painted  al  fresco,  like  the  tympans  in  the  Church 
of  St.  Mark,  at  Venice.  Behind  each  wheel  rises  the  chim- 
ney of  the  two  boilers,  the  latter  placed  outside,  instead  of 
in  the  hull  of  the  steamship,  a  good  precaution  in  case  of 
explosion.  In  the  center,  between  the  paddles,  is  the 
machinery,  which  is  very  simple,  consisting  only  of  a  single 
cylinder,  a  piston  worked  by  a  long  cross-beam,  which  rises 
and  falls  like  the  monstrous  hammer  of  a  forge,  and  a  single 
crank,  communicating  the  movement  to  the  axles  of  the 
massive  wheels. 

Passengers  were  already  crowding  onto  the  deck  of  the 
St.  John.  Dean  Pitferge  and  I  went  to  secure  a  cabin; 
we  got  one  which  opened  into  an  immense  saloon,  a  kind 
of  gallery  with  a  vaulted  ceiling,  supported  by  a  succession 
of  Corinthian  pillars.  Comfort  and  luxury  everywhere, 
carpets,  sofas,  ottomans,  paintings,  mirrors,  even  gas,  made 
in  a  small  gasometer  on  board. 

At  this  moment  the  gigantic  engine  trembled  and  began 
to  work.  I  went  on  to  the  upper  terraces.  At  the  stern 
was  a  gaily  painted  house,  which  was  the  steersman's  room, 
where  four  strong  men  stood  at  the  spokes  of  the  double 
rudder-wheel.  After  walking  about  for  a  few  minutes,  I 
went  down  onto  the  deck,  between  the  already  heated 
boilers,  from  which  light  blue  flames  were  issuing.  Of  the 
Hudson  I  could  see  nothing.  Night  came,  and  with  it  a 
fog  thick  enough  to  be  cut.  The  St.  John  snorted  in  the 
gloom  like  a  true  mastodon ;  we  could  hardly  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  lights  of  the  towns  scattered  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  or  the  lanterns  of  ships  ascending  the  dark  water  with 
shrill  whistles. 

At  eight  o'clock  I  went  into  the  saloon.  The  Doctor 
took  me  to  have  supper  at  a  magnificent  restaurant  placed 
between  the  decks,  where  we  were  served  by  an  army  of 

87 


88  A   FLOATING   CITY 

black  waiters.  Dean  Pitferge  informed  me  that  the  num- 
ber of  passengers  on  board  was  more  than  four  thousand, 
reckoning  fifteen  hundred  emigrants  stowed  away  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  steamship. 

Supper  finished,  we  retired  to  our  comfortable  cabin. 

At  eleven  o'clock  I  was  aroused  by  a  slight  shock.  The 
St.  John  had  stopped.  The  captain,  finding  it  impossible 
to  proceed  in  the  darkness,  had  given  orders  to  heave  to, 
and  the  enormous  boat,  moored  in  the  channel,  slept  tran- 
quilly at  anchor. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  St.  John  resumed 
her  course.  I  got  up  and  went  out  under  one  of  the  veran- 
das. The  rain  had  ceased,  the  fog  cleared  off,  the  water 
appeared,  then  the  shores ;  the  right  bank,  dotted  with  green 
trees  and  shrubs,  which  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a  long 
cemetery;  in  the  background  rose  high  hills,  closing  in  the 
horizon  by  a  graceful  line;  the  left  bank,  on  the  contrary, 
was  flat  and  marshy. 

Dr.  Pitferge  had  just  joined  me  under  the  veranda. 

"  Good-morning,  friend,"  said  he,  after  having  drawn  a 
good  breath  of  air ;  "  do  you  know  we  shall  not  be  at  Albany 
in  time  to  catch  the  train,  thanks  to  that  wretched  fog. 
This  will  modify  my  programme." 

"  So  much  the  worse.  Doctor,  for  we  must  be  economical 
with  our  time." 

"  Right ;  we  may  expect  to  reach  Niagara  Falls  at  night 
instead  of  in  the  evening.  That  is  not  my  fault,  but  we 
must  be  resigned." 

The  St.  John,  in  fact,  did  not  moor  off  the  Albany  quay 
before  eight  o'clock.  The  train  had  left,  so  we  were 
obliged  to  wait  till  half-past  one.  In  consequence  of  this 
delay  we  were  able  to  visit  the  curious  old  city,  which  forms 
the  legislative  center  of  the  State  of  New  York;  the  lower 
town,  commercial  and  thickly  populated,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Hudson,  and  the  high  town,  with  its  brick  houses, 
public  buildings,  and  its  very  remarkable  museum  of  fossils. 
One  might  almost  have  thought  it  a  large  quarter  of  New 
York  transported  to  the  side  of  this  hill,  up  which  it  rises 
in  the  shape  of  an  amphitheater. 

At  one  o'clock,  after  having  breakfasted,  we  went  to  the 
station,  which  was  without  any  barrier  or  officials.  The 
train  simply  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  like  an 


ON    THE   HUDSON    RIVER  89 

omnibus ;  one  could  get  up  and  down  at  pleasure.  The  cars 
communicate  with  each  other  by  bridges,  which  allow  the 
traveler  to  go  from  one  end  of  the  train  to  the  other.  At 
the  appointed  time,  without  seeing  either  a  guard  or  a 
porter,  without  a  bell,  without  any  warning,  the  brisk  loco- 
motive, a  real  gem  of  workmanship,  started,  and  we  were 
whirled  away  at  the  speed  of  fifty  miles  an  hour.  But 
instead  of  being  boxed  up,  as  one  is  in  European  trains, 
we  were  at  liberty  to  walk  about,  buy  newspapers  and  books, 
without  waiting  for  stations.  Refreshment  buffets,  book- 
stalls, everything  was  at  hand  for  the  traveler.  We  were 
now  crossing  fields  without  fences,  and  forests  newly 
cleared,  at  the  risk  of  a  collision  with  the  felled  trees; 
through  new  towns,  seamed  with  rails,  but  still  wanting  in 
houses;  through  cities  adorned  with  the  most  poetic  names 
of  ancient  literature — Rome,  Syracuse,  and  Palmyra.  It 
was  thus  the  Mohawk  Valley,  the  land  of  Fennimore,  w^hich 
belongs  to  the  American  novelist,  as  does  the  land  of  Rob 
Roy  to  Walter  Scott,  glided  before  our  eyes.  For  a  mo- 
ment Lake  Ontario,  which  Cooper  has  made  the  scene  of 
action  of  his  master-work,  sparkled  on  the  horizon.  All 
this  theater  of  the  grand  epopee  of  Leather  Stocking, 
formerly  a  savage  country,  is  now  a  civilized  land.  The 
Doctor  did  not  appreciate  the  change,  for  he  persisted  in 
calling  me  Hawk's  Eye,  and  would  only  answer  to  the  name 
of  Chingachgook. 

At  eleven  o'clock  at  night  we  changed  trains  at  Rochester; 
the  spray  from  the  cascades  fell  over  the  cars  in  showers. 
At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  after  having  kept  alongside 
the  Niagara  for  several  leagues  without  seeing  it,  we 
arrived  at  the  village  of  Niagara  Falls,  and  the  Doctor  con- 
ducted me  to  a  most  magnificent  hotel,  grandly  named 
"  Cataract  House." 


CHAPTER    XXXII 

THE  FALLS  OF  THE  NIAGARA 

The  Niagara  is  not  a  stream,  not  even  a  river ;  it  is  simply 
a  weir  sluice,  a  canal  thirty-six  miles  long,  which  empties 
the  waters  of  the  Lakes  Superior,  Michigan,  Huron,  and 
Erie  into  the  Ontario.     The  difference  in  the  level  of  these 


90  A    FLOATING   CITY 

last  two  lakes  is  three  hundred  and  forty  feet ;  this  difference 
uniformly  proportioned  the  whole  of  the  width  would  hardly 
have  created  a  "  rapid;  "  but  the  Falls  alone  absorb  half  the 
difference  in  level,  whence  their  formidable  power. 

This  Niagarine  trench  separates  the  United  States  from 
Canada.  Its  right  bank  is  American  and  its  left  English; 
on  one  side  policemen,  on  the  other  not  a  shadow  of  one 
to  be  seen. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  April,  at  break  of  day, 
the  Doctor  and  I  walked  down  the  wide  street  of  Niagara 
Falls,  which  is  the  name  of  the  village  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Falls.  It  is  a  kind  of  small  watering-place, 
three  hundred  miles  from  Albany,  built  in  a  healthy  and 
charming  situation,  provided  with  sumptuous  hotels  and 
comfortable  villas,  which  the  Yankees  and  Canadians  fre- 
quent in  the  season.  The  weather  was  magnificent,  the  sun 
warmed  the  cold  atmosphere,  a  dull,  distant  roar  was  heard, 
and  I  saw  vapors  on  the  horizon  which  could  not  be  clouds. 

"  Is  that  the  Falls?  "  I  asked  of  the  Doctor. 

"  Patience !  "  replied  Pitferge. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  were  on  the  banks  of  the  Niagara. 
The  river  was  flowing  peacefully  along;  it  was  clear,  and 
not  deep,  with  numerous  projections  of  gray  rock  emerging 
here  and  there.  The  roar  of  the  cataract  grew  louder  and 
louder,  but  as  yet  we  could  not  see  it.  A  wooden  bridge, 
supported  by  iron  arches,  united  the  left  bank  to  an  island 
in  the  midst  of  the  current;  onto  this  bridge  the  Doctor 
led  me.  Above,  stretched  the  river  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach;  down  the  stream,  that  is  to  say  on  our  right,  the 
first  unevenness  of  a  rapid  was  noticeable;  then,  at  half  a 
mile  from  the  bridge,  the  earth  suddenly  gave  way,  and 
clouds  of  spray  filled  the  air.  This  was  the  American  fall, 
which  we  could  not  see.  Beyond,  on  the  Canadian 
side,  lay  a  peaceful  country,  with  hills,  villas,  and  bare 
trees. 

"  Don't  look!  don't  look!  "  cried  the  Doctor  to  me;  "  re- 
serve yourself,  shut  your  eyes,  and  do  not  open  them  until 
I  tell  you!" 

I  hardly  listened  to  my  original  friend,  but  continued  to 
look.  The  bridge  crossed,  we  set  foot  on  the  island  known 
as  Goat  Island.  It  is  a  piece  of  land  of  about  seventy  acres, 
covered  with  trees,  and  intersected  wath  lovely  avenues  with 


THE   FALLS    OF    THE    NIAGARA'  91 

carriage  drives.  It  is  like  a  bouquet  thrown  between  the 
American  and  Canadian  Falls,  separated  from  the  shore  by 
a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards.  We  ran  under  the  great 
trees,  climbed  the  slopes,  and  went  down  the  steps;  the 
thundering  roar  of  the  falls  was  redoubled,  and  the  air 
saturated  with  spray. 

"  Look !  "  cried  the  Doctor. 

Coming  from  behind  a  mass  of  rock,  the  Niagara  ap- 
peared in  all  its  splendor.  At  this  spot  it  meets  with  a  sharp 
angle  of  land,  and  falling  round  it,  forms  the  Canadian 
cascade,  called  the  "  Horse-shoe  Fall,"  which  falls  from  a 
height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  feet,  and  is  two  miles 
broad. 

In  this,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in  the  world. 
Nature  has  combined  everything  to  astonish  the  eye.  The 
fall  of  the  Niagara  singularly  favors  the  effects  of  light 
and  shade;  the  sunbeams  falling  on  the  water,  capriciously 
diversify  the  color;  and  those  who  have  seen  this  effect, 
must  admit  that  it  is  without  parallel.  In  fact,  near  Goat 
Island  the  foam  is  white;  it  is  then  a  fall  of  snow,  or  a 
heap  of  melted  silver,  pouring  into  the  abyss.  In  the 
center  of  the  cataract  the  color  of  the  water  is  a  most 
beautiful  sea-green,  which  indicates  its  depth,  so  that  the 
Detroit,  a  ship  drawing  twenty  feet  and  launched  on  the 
current,  was  able  to  descend  the  falls  without  grazing.  To- 
wards the  Canadian  shore  the  whirlpool,  on  the  contrary, 
looks  like  metal  shining  beneath  the  luminous  rays,  and  it  is 
melted  gold  which  is  now^  poured  into  the  gulf.  Below,  the 
river  is  invisible  from  the  vapors  which  rise  over  it.  I 
caught  glimpses,  however,  of  enormous  blocks  of  ice  ac- 
cumulated by  the  cold  of  winter;  they  take  the  form  of 
monsters,  which,  with  open  jaws,  hourly  absorb  the  hun- 
dred millions  of  tons  poured  into  them  by  the  inexhaustible 
Niagara.  Half  a  mile  below  the  cataract  the  river  again 
became  tranquil,  and  presented  a  smooth  surface,  which  the 
winds  of  April  had  not  yet  been  able  to  ruffle. 

"  And  now  for  the  middle  of  the  torrent,"  said  the  Doctor 
to  me. 

I  could  not  imagine  what  the  Doctor  meant  by  those 
words,  until  he  pointed  to  a  tower  built  on  the  edge  of  a 
rock  some  hundred  feet  from  the  shore,  almost  overhang- 
ing the  precipice.     This  monument,  raised   in   1833,  by  a 


92  A   FLOATING   CITY 

certain  audacious  being,  one  Judge  Porter,  is  called  the 
**  Terrapin  Tower." 

We  went  down  the  steps  of  Goat  Island,  and,  coming  to 
the  height  of  the  upper  course  of  the  Niagara,  I  saw  a 
bridge,  or  rather  some  planks,  thrown  from  one  rock  to  the 
other,  which  united  the  tower  with  the  banks  of  the  river. 
The  bridge  was  but  a  few  feet  from  the  abyss,  and  below  it 
roared  the  torrent.  We  ventured  on  these  planks,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  reached  the  rock  which  supported  Terrapin 
Tower.  This  round  tower,  forty-five  feet  in  height,  is  built 
of  stone,  with  a  circular  balcony  at  its  summit,  and  a  roof 
covered  with  red  stucco.  The  winding  staircase,  on  which 
thousands  of  names  are  cut,  is  wooden.  Once  at  the  top 
of  the  tower,  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  cling  to  the  balcony 
and  look. 

The  tower  is  in  the  midst  of  the  cataract.  From  its  sum- 
mit the  eye  plunges  into  the  depths  of  the  abyss,  and  peers 
into  the  very  jaws  of  the  ice  monsters,  as  they  swallow  the 
torrent.  One  feels  the  rock  tremble  which  supports  it. 
It  is  impossible  to  hear  anything  but  the  roaring  of  the 
surging  water.  The  spray  rises  to  the  top  of  the  monu- 
ment, and  splendid  rainbows  are  formed  by  the  sun  shining 
on  the  vaporized  water. 

By  a  simple  optical  illusion,  the  tower  seems  to  move 
with  a  frightful  rapidity,  but,  happily,  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion to  the  fall,  for,  with  the  contrary  illusion,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  look  at  the  gulf  from  giddiness. 

Breathless  and  shivering,  we  went  for  a  moment  inside 
the  tower,  and  the  Doctor  took  the  opportunity  of  saying  to 
me,  "  This  Terrapin  Tower,  my  dear  sir,  will  some  day  fall 
into  the  abyss,  and  perhaps  sooner  than  is  expected." 

"Ah!  indeed!" 

"  There  is  no  doubt  about  it.  The  great  Canadian  Fall 
recedes  insensibly,  but  still,  it  recedes.  The  tower,  when  it 
was  first  built  in  1833,  was  much  farther  from  the  cataract. 
Geologists  say  that  the  fall,  in  the  space  of  thirty-five  thou- 
sand years,  will  be  found  at  Queenstown,  seven  miles  up 
the  stream.  According  to  Mr.  Bakewell,  it  recedes  a  yard 
in  a  year;  but  according  to  Sir  Charles  Lyell  one  foot 
only.  The  time  will  come  when  the  rock  which  supports 
the  tower,  worn  away  by  the  water,  will  glide  down  the 
Falls  of  the  cataract.     Well,  my  dear  sir,  remember  this: 


THE   FALLS   OF   THE    NIAGARA  93 

the  day  when  the  Terrapin  Tower  falls,  there  will  be  some 
eccentrics  who  will  descend  the  Niagara  with  it." 

I  looked  at  the  Doctor,  as  if  to  ask  him  if  he  would  be 
of  that  number,  but  he  signed  for  me  to  follow  him,  and 
we  went  out  again  to  look  at  the  "  Horse-shoe  Fall,"  and 
the  surrounding  country.  We  could  now  distinguish  the 
American  Fall,  slightly  curtailed  and  separated  by  a  pro- 
jection of  the  island,  where  there  is  another  small  central 
cataract  one  hundred  feet  wide;  the  American  cascade, 
equally  fine,  falls  perpendicularly.  Its  height  is  one  hundred 
and  sixty-four  feet.  But  in  order  to  have  a  good  view  of  it 
it  is  necessary  to  stand  facing  it,  on  the  Canadian  side. 

All  day  we  wandered  on  the  banks  of  the  Niagara,  irre- 
sistibly drawn  back  to  the  tower,  where  the  roar  of  the 
water,  the  spray,  the  sunlight  playing  on  the  vapors,  the 
excitement,  and  the  briny  odor  of  the  cataract,  holds  you 
in  a  perpetual  ecstasy.  Then  we  went  back  to  Goat  Island 
to  get  the  Fall  from  every  point  of  view,  without  ever  being' 
wearied  of  looking  at  it.  The  Doctor  would  have  taken  me 
to  see  the  "  Grotto  of  Winds,"  hollowed  out  underneath 
the  central  Fall,  but  access  to  it  was  not  allowed,  on  account 
of  the  frequent  falling  away  of  the  rocks. 

At  five  o'clock  we  went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  after  a 
hasty  dinner,  served  in  the  American  fashion,  we  returned 
to  Goat  Island.  The  Doctor  wished  to  go  and  see  the 
"  Three  Sisters,"  charming  little  islets  scattered  at  the  head 
of  the  island;  then,  with  the  return  of  evening,  he  led  me 
back  to  the  tottering  rock  of  Terrapin  Tower. 

The  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun  had  disappeared  behind 
the  gray  hills,  and  the  moon  shed  her  soft  clear  light  over 
the  landscape.  The  shadow  of  the  tower  stretched  across 
the  abyss ;  farther  down  the  stream  the  water  glided  silently 
along,  crowned  with  a  light  mist.  The  Canadian  shore,  al- 
ready plunged  in  darkness,  contrasted  vividly  with  the 
moon-lit  banks  of  Goat  Island,  and  the  village  of  Niagara 
Falls.  Below  us,  the  gulf,  magnified  by  the  uncertain  light, 
looked  like  a  bottomless  abyss,  in  which  roared  the  formid- 
able torrent.  What  an  effect!  What  artist  could  ever 
depict  such  a  scene,  either  with  the  pen  or  paint-brush  ?  For 
some  minutes  a  moving  light  appeared  on  the  horizon;  it 
(was  the  signal  light  of  a  train  crossing  the  Niagara  bridge 
at  a  distance  of  two  miles  from  us.     Here  we  remained 


94  A  FLOATING  CITY 

silent  and  motionless  on  the  top  of  the  tower  until  mid- 
night, leaning  over  the  waters  which  possessed  such  a 
fascination.  Once,  when  the  moon-beams  caught  the  liquid 
dust  at  a  certain  angle,  I  had  a  glimpse  of  a  milky  band  of 
transparent  ribbon  trembling  in  the  shadows.  It  was  a 
lunar  rainbow,  a  pale  irradiation  of  the  queen  of  the  night, 
whose  soft  light  was  refracted  through  the  mist  of  the 
cataract. 

CHAPTER   XXXIII 

THE   DOCTOR    AND    I    MEET    CORSICAN    AGAIN 

The  next  day,  the  13th  of  April,  the  Doctor's  programme 
announced  a  visit  to  the  Canadian  shore.  We  had  only  to 
follow  the  heights  of  the  bank  of  the  Niagara  for  two  miles 
to  reach  the  suspension  bridge.  We  started  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  From  the  winding  path  on  the  right  bank 
we  could  see  the  tranquil  waters  of  the  river,  which  np 
longer  felt  the  perturbation  of  its  fall. 

At  half-past  seven  we  reached  the  suspension  bridge.  It 
is  the  bridge,  on  which  the  Great  Western  and  New  York 
Central  Railroads  meet,  and  the  only  one  which  gives  access 
to  Canada  on  the  confines  of  the  State  of  New  York,  This 
suspension  bridge  is  formed  of  two  platforms;  the  upper 
one  for  trains,  and  the  lower  for  carriages  and  pedestrians. 
Imagination  seems  to  lose  itself  in  contemplating  this 
stupendous  work.  This  viaduct,  over  which  trains  can  pass, 
is  suspended  at  a  height  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above 
the  Niagara,  again  transformed  into  a  rapid  at  this  spot. 
This  suspension  bridge,  built  by  John  A.  Roebling,  is  eight 
hundred  feet  long,  and  twenty- four  wide;  the  iron  props 
fastened  to  the  shore  prevent  it  from  swinging;  the  chains 
which  support  it,  formed  of  four  thousand  wires,  are  ten 
inches  in  diameter,  and  can  bear  a  weight  of  twelve  thousand 
four  hundred  tons.  The  bridge  itself  weighs  but  eight  hun- 
dred tons,  and  cost  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Just  as 
we  reached  the  center  a  train  passed  over  our  heads,  and 
we  felt  the  platform  bend  under  its  weight. 

It  is  a  little  below  this  bridge  that  Blondin  crossed  the 
Niagara,  on  a  rope  stretched  from  one  shore  to  the  other, 
and  not,  as  is  generally  supposed,  across  the  falls.  How- 
ever, the  undertaking  was  none  the  less  perilous;  but  if 


WE   MEET   CORSICAN   AGAIN  95 

Blondin  astonished  us  by  his  daring,  what  must  we  think  of 
his  friend  who  accompanied  him,  riding  on  his  back  during 
this  aerial  promenade  ? 

"  Perhaps  he  was  a  glutton,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  and  Blon- 
din made  wonderful  omelets  on  his  tight-rope." 

We  were  now  on  Canadian  ground,  and  we  walked  up  the 
left  bank  of  the  Niagara,  in  order  to  see  the  Falls  under 
a  new  aspect.  Half  an  hour  later  we  reached  the  English 
hotel,  where  the  Doctor  ordered  our  breakfast,  whilst  I 
glanced  through  the  "Travelers'  Book,"  where  figured 
several  thousand  names:  among  the  most  celebrated  I 
noticed  the  following: — Robert  Peel,  Lady  Franklin, 
Comte  de  Paris,  Due  de  Chartres,  Prince  de  Joinville,  Louis 
Napoleon  (1846),  Prince  and  Princess  Napoleon,  Barnum 
(with  his  address),  Maurice  Sand  (1865),  Agassiz  (1854), 
Almonte,  Prince  Hohenlohe,  Rothschild,  Bertin  (Paris), 
Lady  Elgin,  Burkhardt  (1832),  etc. 

"  And  now  let  us  go  under  the  Falls,"  said  the  Doctor  to 
me,  when  we  had  finished  breakfast. 

I  followed  Dean  Pitferge.  A  negro  conducted  us  to  the 
dressing-room,  where  we  were  provided  with  waterproof 
trousers,  mackintoshes,  and  glazed  hats.  Thus  equipped, 
our  guide  led  us  down  a  slippery  path,  obstructed  by  sharp- 
edged  stones,  to  the  lower  level  of  Niagara.  Then  we 
passed  behind  the  great  fall  through  clouds  of  spray,  the 
cataract  falling  before  us  like  the  curtain  of  a  theater  be- 
fore the  actors.  But  what  a  theater!  Soaked,  blinded, 
deafened,  we  could  neither  see  nor  hear  in  this  cavern  as 
hermetically  closed  by  the  liquid  sheets  of  the  cataract  as 
though  Nature  had  sealed  it  in  by  a  wall  of  granite. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  returned  to  the  hotel,  where  they  re- 
lieved us  of  our  streaming  clothes.  Returning  to  the  bank, 
I  uttered  a  cry  of  surprise  and  joy,  "  Captain  Corsican!  " 

The  captain  heard,  and  came  towards  me. 

"You  here!"  he  cried;  "what  a  pleasure  to  see  you 
again  I " 

"  And  Fabian  and  Ellen  ?  "  I  asked,  shaking  his  hands. 

"  They  are  here,  and  going  on  as  well  as  possible ;  Fabian 
full  of  hope,  almost  merry;  and  our  poor  Ellen  little  by  little: 
regaining  reason." 

"  But  how  is  it  that  I  meet  you  at  Niagara.?  " 

"  Niagara,"  repeated  Corsican.     "  Well,  it  is  the  prin- 


96  A    FLOATING   CITY 

cipal  resort  of  English  and  Americans  in  the  warm  months. 
They  come  here  to  breathe,  to  be  cured  by  the  subHme 
spectacle  of  the  Falls.  Our  Ellen  seemed  to  be  struck  at 
first  sight  by  this  glorious  scenery,  and  we  have  come  to 
stay  on  the  banks  of  the  Niagara.  You  see  that  villa,  '  Clif- 
ton House,'  in  the  midst  of  those  trees,  half  way  up  the  hill; 

that  is  where  we  all  live,  with  Mrs.  R ,  Fabian's  sister, 

[who  is  devoted  to  our  poor  friend." 

*'  Has  Ellen  recognized  Fabian  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,  not  yet,"  replied  the  captain.  "  You  are  aware, 
however,  that  at  the  moment  when  Drake  was  struck  dead, 
Ellen  had  a  brief  interval  of  consciousness.  Her  reason  be- 
came clear  in  the  gloom  which  surrounded  her,  but  this  did 
not  last  long.  At  the  same  time,  since  we  brought  her  to 
breathe  this  fresh  air  in  this  quiet  place  ,the  doctor  has  dis- 
covered a  sensible  improvement  in  her  condition.  She  is 
calm,  her  sleep  is  tranquil,  and  there  is  a  look  in  her  eyes  as 
though  she  were  trying  to  think  of  something  past." 

"  Ah,"  my  dear  friend ; "  cried  I,  "  you  will  cure  her. 
But  where  are  Fabian  and  his  betrothed?  " 

"  Look !  "  said  Corsican,  and  he  pointed  towards  the  shore 
of  the  Niagara.  In  the  direction  indicated  by  the  captain 
I  saw  Fabian,  who  had  not  yet  noticed  us.  He  was  stand- 
ing on  a  rock,  and  a  few  feet  in  front  of  him  sat  Ellen 
perfectly  motionless,  Fabian  watching  her  all  the  time. 
This  spot  on  the  left  bank  is  known  by  the  name  of  "  Table 
Rock."  It  is  a  kind  of  rocky  promontory  jutting  out  into  the 
river,  which  roars  at  a  distance  of  four  hundred  feet  below. 
Formerly  it  was  more  extensive,  but  the  crumbling  away  of 
large  pieces  of  rock  has  now  reduced  it  to  a  surface  a  few 
yards  square. 

Ellen  seemed  absorbed  in  speechless  ecstasy.  From  this 
place  the  aspect  of  the  Falls  is  "  most  sublime,"  as  say  the 
guides,  and  they  are  right.  It  gives  a  view  of  two  cataracts ; 
on  the  right  the  "  Canadian  Fall,"  the  crest  of  which, 
crowned  with  vapors,  shut  in  the  horizon  on  one  side,  like 
the  horizon  of  the  sea.  In  front  is  the  "  American  Fall," 
and  above,  the  elegant  village  of  Niagara  Falls,  half  hidden 
in  the  trees ;  on  the  left,  the  whole  perspective  of  the  river 
flowing  rapidly  between  its  high  banks,  and  below  the  tor- 
rent struggling  against  the  overthrown  ice-bergs. 

Corsican,  the  Doctor,  and  I  went  towards  Table  Rock, 

V.  VII  Verna 


WE    MEET    CORSICAN    AGAIN  97 

but  I  did  not  want  to  disturb  Fabian.  Ellen  was  as  motion- 
less as  a  statue.  What  impression  was  this  scene  making 
on  her  mind?  Was  reason  gradually  coming  back  to  her 
under  the  influence  of  the  grand  spectacle?  Suddenly  I 
saw  Fabian  step  towards  her.  Ellen  had  risen  quickly,  and 
was  going  near  to  the  abyss,  with  her  arms  extended  towards 
the  gulf;  but  all  at  once  she  stopped,  and  passed  her  hand 
rapidly  across  her  forehead,  as  if  she  would  drive  away 
some  thought.  Fabian,  pale  as  death,  but  self-possessed, 
with  one  bound  placed  himself  between  Ellen  and  the  chasm; 
the  latter  shook  back  her  fair  hair,  and  her  graceful  figure 
staggered.  Did  she  see  Fabian?  No.  One  would  have 
said  it  was  a  dead  person  coming  back  to  being,  and  looking 
round  for  life! 

Captain  Corsican  and  I  dared  not  move,  although,  being 
so  near  the  abyss,  we  dreaded  some  catastrophe;  but  the 
Doctor  kept  us  back. 

*'  Let  Fabian  alone,"  said  he. 

I  heard  the  sobs  which  escaped  from  the  young  woman's 
heaving  breast,  the  inarticulate  words  from  her  lips;  she 
seemed  trying  to  speak,  but  could  not.  At  last  she  uttered 
these  words,  "  My  God !  my  God !  where  am  I,  where  am  I  ?  " 

She  was  conscious  that  someone  was  near  her,  for  she 
half  turned  round,  her  whole  face  seemed  transfigured. 

There  was  a  new  light  in  her  eyes,  as  she  saw  Fabian, 
trembling  and  speechless,  standing  before  her  with  out- 
stretched arms.     "  Fabian !  Fabian !  "  cried  she,  at  last. 

Fabian  caught  her  in  his  arms,  where  she  fell  in  an  un- 
conscious state.  He  uttered  a  piercing  cry,  thinking  that 
Ellen  was  dead,  but  the  Doctor  interposed.  "  Don't  be 
alarmed,"  said  he;  "this  crisis  will  be  the  means  of  saving 
her!" 

Ellen  was  carried  to  Clifton  House  and  put  to  bed,  where 
she  recovered  consciousness  and  slept  peacefully.  Fabian, 
encouraged  by  the  Doctor,  was  full  of  hope.  Ellen  had  rec- 
ognized him!  Coming  back  to  us,  he  said  to  me.  "We 
shall  save  her,  we  shall  save  her!  Every  day  I  watch  her 
coming  back  to  life.  To-day,  to-morrow,  perhaps  she  will 
be  restored  to  me.  Ah !  the  just  God  be  praised !  We  will 
stay  here  as  long  as  it  is  necessary  for  her,  shall  we  not, 
Archibald?" 

The  captain  clasped  Fabian  in  his  arms;  then  the  latter 


98  A    FLOATING   CITY 

turned  to  the  Doctor  and  me.  He  loaded  us  with  thanks, 
and  inspired  us  with  the  hope  v/hich  filled  his  breast,  and 
never  was  there  better  reason  for  hope — Ellen's  recovery- 
was  near  at  hand. 

But  we  must  be  starting,  and  there  was  hardly  an  hour 
for  us  to  reach  Niagara  Falls.  Ellen  was  still  sleeping 
when  we  left  our  dear  friends.  Fabian  and  Corsican  bid 
us  a  last  farewell,  after  having  promised  we  should  have 
news  of  Ellen  by  telegram,  and  at  noon  we  left  Clifton 
House. 

CHAPTER    XXXIV 

.THE  RETURN  TO  EUROPE 

Some  minutes  later  we  were  descending  a  long  flight  of 
steps  on  the  Canadian  side,  which  led  to  the  banks  of  the 
river,  covered  with  huge  sheets  of  ice.  Here  a  boat  was 
waiting  to  take  us  to  "  America."  One  passenger  had  al- 
ready taken  his  place  in  it.  He  was  an  engineer  from 
Kentucky,  and  acquainted  the  Doctor  with  his  name  and 
profession.  We  embarked  without  loss  of  time,  and  by  dint 
of  steering,  so  as  to  avoid  the  blocks  of  ice,  reached  the 
middle  of  the  river,  where  the  current  offered  a  clear  pas- 
sage. From  here  we  had  a  last  view  of  the  magnificent 
Niagara  cataract.  Our  companion  observed  it  with  a 
thoughtful  air. 

"  Is  it  not  grand,  sir?     Is  it  not  magnificent?  "  said  I. 

"Yes,"  replied  he;  "but  what  a  waste  of  mechanical 
force ;  what  a  mill  might  be  turned  with  such  a  fall  as  that !  "' 

Never  did  I  feel  more  inclined  to  pitch  an  engineer  into 
the  water ! 

On  the  other  bank  a  small  and  almost  vertical  railroad, 
worked  by  a  rope  on  the  American  side,  hoisted  us  to  the 
top.  At  half -past  one  we  took  the  express,  which  put  us 
down  at  Buffalo  at  a  quarter  past  two.  After  visiting  this 
large  new  town,  and  tasting  the  water  of  Lake  Erie,  we 
again  took  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  The  next  day,  on  leaving  the  comfortable 
beds  of  a  "  sleeping  car,"  we  found  ourselves  at  Albany, 
and  the  Hudson  Railroad,  which  runs  along  the  left  bank 
of  the  river,  brought  us  to  New  York  a  few  hours  later. 

The  next  day,  the  15th  of  April,  in  company  with  the 


THE   RETURN   TO   EUROPE  99 

indefatigable  Doctor,  I  went  over  the  city,  East  River,  and 
Brooklyn.  In  the  evening  I  bade  farewell  to  the  good 
Dean  Pitferge,  and  I  felt,  in  leaving  him,  that  I  left  a 
friend. 

Tuesday,  the  i6th  of  April,  was  the  day  fixed  for  the 
departure  of  the  Great  Eastern.  At  eleven  o'clock  I  went 
to  Thirty-seventh  pier,  where  the  tender  was  to  await  the 
passengers.  It  was  already  filled  with  people  and  luggage 
when  I  embarked.  Just  as  the  tender  was  leaving  the  quay 
someone  caught  hold  of  my  arm,  and  turning  round  I  saw 
Dr.  Pitferge. 

"  You!  "  I  cried;  "  and  are  you  going  back  to  Europe?  " 

"  Yes,  my  dear  sir." 

"  By  the  Great  Eastern?  " 

"  Undoubtedly,"  replied  the  amiable  original,  smiling;  "  I 
have  considered  the  matter,  and  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  I  must  go.  Only  think,  this  may  be  the  Great 
Eastern's  last  voyage;  the  one  which  she  will  never  com- 
plete." 

The  bell  for  departure  had  rung,  when  one  of  the  waiters 
from  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  came  running  up  to  me,  and 
put  a  telegram  into  my  hands,  dated  from  Niagara :  "  Ellen 
has  awakened;  her  reason  has  entirely  returned  to  her,  and 
the  doctor  has  every  hope  of  her  recovery." 

I  communicated  this  good  news  to  Dean  Pitferge. 

"  Every  hope  for  her  indeed !  every  hope !  "  said  my  fel- 
low-traveler, in  a  sarcastic  tone.  "  I  also  have  every  hope 
for  her,  but  what  good  does  that  do,''  Anyone  may  have 
great  hopes  for  you,  for  me,  for  all  of  us,  but  at  the  same 
time  he  may  be  just  as  much  wrong  as  right." 

Twelve  days  later  we  reached  Brest,  and  the  day  follow- 
ing Paris.  The  return  passage  was  made  without  any  mis- 
fortune, to  the  great  displeasure  of  Dean  Pitferge,  who 
always  expected  to  see  the  great  ship  wrecked. 

And  now,  when  I  am  sitting  at  my  own  table,  if  I  had 
not  my  daily  notes  before  me,  I  should  think  that  the  Great 
Eastern,  that  floating  city  in  which  I  lived  for  a  month, 
the  meeting  of  Ellen  and  Fabian,  the  peerless  Niagara,  all 
these  were  the  visions  of  a  dream.  Ah!  how  delightful  is 
traveling,  "even  when  one  does  return,"  in  spite  of  what 
the  Doctor  may  say  to  the  contrary. 

For  eight  months  I  heard  nothing  of  my  original,  but 


loo  A   FLOATING   CITY 

one  day  the  post  brought  me  a  letter,  covered  with  many- 
colored  stamps,  which  began  with  these  words,  "  On  board 
the  Corinquay,  Auckland  Rocks.  At  last  we  have  been  ship- 
wrecked."    And  ended  thus,  "  Was  never  in  better  health. 

"  Very  heartily  yours, 

"Dean  Pitferge." 


THE  END 


The  Blockade  Runners 


The  Blockade  Runners 

CHAPTER   I 

THE  "  DOLPHIN  " 

HE  Clyde  was  the  first  river  whose  waters  were 
lashed  into  foam  by  a  steamboat.  It  was  in 
[2,  when  the  steamer  called  the  Comet  ran 
between  Glasgow  and  Greenock,  at  the  speed 
of  six  miles  an  hour.  Since  that  time  more 
than  a  million  of  steamers  or  packet-boats 
have  plied  this  Scotch  river,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Glasgow 
must  be  as  familiar  as  any  people  with  the  wonders  of 
steam  navigation. 

However,  on  the  3rd  of  December,  1862,  an  immense 
crowd,  composed  of  ship-owners,  merchants,  manufacturers, 
workmen,  sailors,  women,  and  children,  thronged  the  muddy 
streets  of  Glasgow,  all  going  in  the  direction  of  Kelvin 
Dock,  the  large  ship-building  premises  belonging  to  Messrs. 
Tod  and  MacGregor.  This  last  name  especially  proves  that 
the  descendants  of  the  famous  Highlanders  have  become 
manufacturers,  and  that  they  have  made  workmen  of  all 
the  vassals  of  the  old  clan  chieftains. 

There  was,  however,  nothing  extraordinary  in  the  event 
about  to  take  place;  it  was  nothing  but  the  launching  of  a 
ship,  and  this  was  an  every-day  affair  with  the  people  of 
Glasgow.  Had  the  Dolphin,  then — for  that  was  the  name 
of  the  ship  built  by  Messrs.  Tod  and  MacGregor — some 
special  peculiarity?     To  tell  the  truth  it  had  none. 

It  was  a  large  ship,  about  1,500  tons,  in  which  every- 
thing combined  to  obtain  superior  speed.  Her  engines,  of 
500-horse  power,  worked  two  screws,  one  on  either  side  the 
stern-post,  completely  independent  of  each  other.  As  for 
the  depth  of  water  the  Dolphin  would  draw,  it  must  be 
very  inconsiderable;  connoisseurs  were  not  deceived,  and 
they  concluded  rightly  that  this  ship  was  destined  for  shal- 
low straits.  But  all  these  particulars  could  not  in  any  way 
justify  the  eagerness  of  the  people:  taken  altogether  the 
Dolphin  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  an  ordinary  ship. 
Would  her  launching  present  some  mechanical  difficulty  to 
be  overcome?     Not  any  more  than  usual.     The  Clyde  had 

103 


104  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

received  many  a  ship  of  heavier  tonnage,  and  the  launching 
of  the  Dolphin  would  take  place  in  the  usual  manner. 

In  fact,  v^hen  the  v^ater  was  calm,  the  moment  the  ebb- 
tide set  in,  the  workmen  began  to  operate.  Their  mallets 
kept  perfect  time  falling  on  the  wedges  meant  to  raise  the 
ship's  keel :  soon  a  shudder  ran  through  the  whole  of  her 
massive  structure;  although  she  had  only  been  slightly 
raised,  one  could  see  that  she  shook,  and  then  gradually 
began  to  glide  down  the  well-greased  wedges,  and  in  a  few 
moments  she  plunged  into  the  Clyde.  Her  stern  struck 
the  muddy  bed  of  the  river,  then  she  raised  herself  on  the 
top  of  a  gigantic  wave,  and,  carried  forward  by  her  start, 
would  have  been  dashed  against  the  quay  of  the  Govan 
timber-yards,  if  her  anchors  had  not  restrained  her. 

The  launch  had  been  perfectly  successful,  the  Dolphin 
swayed  quietly  on  the  waters  of  the  Clyde,  all  the  spec- 
tators clapped  their  hands  when  she  took  possession  of  her 
natural  element,  and  loud  hurrahs  arose  from  either  bank. 

But  wherefore  these  cries  and  this  applause?  Undoubt- 
edly the  most  eager  of  the  spectators  would  have  been  at  a 
loss  to  explain  the  reason  of  his  enthusiasm.  What  was 
the  cause,  then,  of  the  lively  interest  excited  by  this  ship? 
Simply  the  mystery  which  shrouded  her  destination;  it  was 
not  known  to  what  kind  of  commerce  she  was  to  be  appro- 
priated, and  in  questioning  different  groups  the  diversity  of 
opinion  on  this  important  subject  was  indeed  most  aston- 
ishing. 

However,  the  best  informed,  at  least  those  who  pre- 
tended to  be  so,  agreed  in  saying  that  the  steamer  was 
going  to  take  part  in  the  terrible  war  which  was  then  ravag- 
ing the  United  States  of  America,  but  more  than  this  they 
did  not  know,  and  whether  the  Dolphin  was  a  privateer,  a 
transport  ship,  or  an  addition  to  the  Federal  marine,  was 
what  no  one  could  tell. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  one,  affirming  that  the  Dolphin  had 
been  built  for  the  Southern  States. 

"  Hip !  hip !  hip !  "  cried  another,  swearing  that  never  had 
a  faster  boat  crossed  to  the  American  coast. 

Thus  its  destination  was  unknown,  and  in  order  to  ob- 
tain any  reliable  information  one  must  be  an  intimate  friend, 
or,  at  any  rate,  an  acquaintance  of  Vincent  Playfair  and  Co., 
of  Glasgow.     A  rich,  powerful,  intelligent  house  of  busi- 


THE    "DOLPHIN"  105 

ness  was  that  of  Vincent  Playfair  and  Co.,  in  a  social  sense, 
an  old  and  honorable  family,  descended  from  those  tobacco 
lords  who  built  the  finest  quarters  of  the  town.  These 
clever  merchants,  by  an  act  of  the  Union,  had  founded  the 
first  Glasgow  warehouse  for  dealing  in  tobacco  from  Vir- 
ginia and  Maryland.  Immense  fortunes  were  realized; 
mills  and  foundries  sprang  up  in  all  parts,  and  in  a  few 
years  the  prosperity  of  the  city  attained  its  height. 

The  house  of  Playfair  remained  faithful  to  the  enter- 
prising spirit  of  its  ancestors,  it  entered  into  the  most  dar- 
ing schemes,  and  maintained  the  honor  of  English  com- 
merce. The  principal,  Vincent  Playfair,  a  man  of  fifty, 
with  a  temperament  essentially  practical  and  decided,  al- 
though somewhat  daring,  was  a  genuine  shipowner.  Noth- 
ing affected  him  beyond  commercial  questions,  not  even 
the  political  side  of  the  transactions,  otherwise  he  was  a 
perfectly  loyal  and  honest  man. 

However,  he  could  not  lay  claim  to  the  idea  of  building 
and  fitting  up  the  Dolphin;  she  belonged  to  his  nephew, 
James  Playfair,  a  fine  young  man  of  thirty,  the  boldest 
skipper  of  the  British  merchant  marine. 

It  was  one  day  at  the  Tontine  coffee-room  under  the 
arcades  of  the  Town-hall,  that  James  Playfair,  after  having 
impatiently  scanned  the  American  journal,  disclosed  to  his 
uncle  an  adventurous  scheme.  "  Uncle  Vincent,"  said  he, 
coming  to  the  point  at  once,  "there  are  two  millions  of 
pounds  to  be  gained  in  less  than  a  month." 

"  And  what  to  risk?  "  asked  Uncle  Vincent. 

"  A  ship  and  a  cargo." 

"Nothing  else?" 

"  Nothing,  except  the  crew  and  the  captain,  and  that  does 
not  reckon  for  much." 

"  Let  us  see,"  said  Uncle  Vincent. 

"  It  is  all  seen,"  replied  James  Playfair.  "  You  have  read 
the  Tribune,  the  New  York  Herald,  the  Times,  the  Rich- 
mond Inquirer,  the  American  Review f  " 

"  Scores  of  times,  nephew." 

"  You  believe,  like  me,  that  the  war  of  the  United  States 
will  last  a  long  time  still?" 

"  A  very  long  time." 

"  You  know  how  much  this  struggle  will  affect  the  in- 
terests of  England,  and  especially  those  of  Glasgow?" 


io6  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"  And  more  especially  still  the  house  of  Playfair  and  Co.," 
replied  Uncle  Vincent. 

"  Theirs  especially,"  added  the  young  captain. 

"  I  worry  myself  about  it  every  day,  James,  and  I  cannot 
think  without  terror  of  the  commercial  disasters  which  this 
war  may  produce;  not  but  that  the  house  of  Playfair  is 
firmly  established,  nephew;  at  the  same  time  it  has  cor- 
respondents which  may  fail.  Ah!  those  Americans,  slave- 
holders or  abolitionists,  I  have  no  faith  in  them ! " 

If  Vincent  Playfair  was  wrong  in  thus  speaking  with 
respect  to  the  great  principles  of  humanity,  always  and 
everywhere  superior  to  personal  interests,  he  was,  neverthe- 
less, right  in  a  commercial  point  of  view.  The  most  im- 
portant material  was  failing  at  Glasgow,  the  cotton  famine 
became  every  day  more  threatening,  thousands  of  work- 
men were  reduced  to  live  upon  public  charity.  Glasgow 
possessed  25,000  looms,  by  which  625,000  yards  of  cotton 
were  spun  daily;  that  is  to  say,  fifty  millions  of  pounds 
yearly.  From  these  numbers  it  may  be  guessed  what  dis- 
turbances were  caused  in  the  commercial  part  of  the  town, 
when  the  raw  material  failed  altogether.  Failures  were 
hourly  taking  place,  the  manufactories  were  closed,  and  the 
workmen  were  dying  of  starvation. 

It  was  the  sight  of  this  great  misery,  which  had  put  the 
idea  of  his  bold  enterprise  into  James  Playfair's  head.  **  I 
will  go  for  cotton,  and  will  get  it,  cost  what  it  may." 

But  as  he  also  was  a  merchant  as  well  as  his  uncle  Vin- 
cent, he  resolved  to  carry  out  his  plan  by  way  of  exchange, 
and  to  make  his  proposition  under  the  guise  of  a  commercial 
enterprise.     "  Uncle  Vincent,"  said  he,  "  this  is  my  idea." 

"Well,  James?" 

"  It  is  simply  this ;  we  will  have  a  ship  built  of  superior 
sailing  qualities  and  great  bulk," 

"  That  is  quite  possible." 

"  We  will  load  her  with  ammunition  of  war,  provisions, 
and  clothes." 

"  Just  so." 

"  I  will  take  the  command  of  this  steamer,  I  will  defy 
all  the  ships  of  the  Federal  marine  for  speed,  and  I  will 
run  the  blockade  of  one  of  the  southern  ports." 

"  You  must  make  a  good  bargain  for  your  cargo  with 
the  Confederates,  who  will  be  in  need  of  it,"  said  his  uncle. 


THE    "DOLPHIN"  107 

"And  I  shall  return  laden  with  cotton." 

"  Which  they  will  give  you  for  nothing." 

"  As  you  say,  uncle.     Will  it  answer?  " 

"  It  will;  but  shall  you  be  able  to  get  there?  " 

"  I  shall,  if  I  have  a  good  ship." 

"  One  can  be  made  on  purpose.     But  the  crew?  " 

"  Oh,  I  will  find  them.  I  do  not  want  many  men ; 
enough  to  work  with,  that  is  all.  It  is  not  a  question  of 
fighting  with  the  Federals,  but  distancing  them." 

"  They  shall  be  distanced,"  said  Uncle  Vincent,  in  a 
peremptory  tone ;  "  but  now,  tell  me,  James,  to  what  port 
of  the  American  coast  do  you  think  of  going?  " 

"  Up  to  now,  uncle,  ships  have  run  the  blockade  of  New 
Orleans,  Wilmington,  and  Savannah,  but  I  think  of  going 
straight  to  Charleston;  no  English  boat  has  yet  been  able 
to  penetrate  into  the  harbor,  except  the  Bermuda.  I  will 
do  like  her,  and  if  my  ship  draws  but  very  little  water,  I 
shall  be  able  to  go  where  the  Federalists  will  not  be  able  to 
follow." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Uncle  Vincent,  *'  Charleston  is  over- 
whelmed with  cotton;  they  are  even  burning  it  to  get  rid 
of  it." 

"  Yes,"  replied  James ;  "  besides,  the  town  is  almost  in- 
vested, Beauregard  is  running  short  of  provisions,  and  he 
will  pay  me  a  golden  price  for  my  cargo !  " 

"Well,  nephew;  and  when  will  you  start?" 

"  In  six  months ;  I  must  have  the  long  winter  nights  to 
aid  me." 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,  nephew." 

"  It  is  settled,  then,  uncle?  " 

"Settled!" 

"Shall  it  be  kept  quiet?" 

"Yes;  better  so." 

And  this  is  how  it  was  that  five  months  later  the  steamer 
Dolphin  was  launched  from  the  Kelvin  Dock  timber-yards, 
and  no  one  knew  her  real  destination. 


CHAPTER    II 

"  GETTING  UNDER  SAIL  " 

The  Dolphin  was  rapidly  equipped,  her  rigging  was 
ready,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  fit  her  up.  She 
carried  three  schooner-masts,  an  almost  useless  luxury;  in 
fact,  the  Dolphin  did  not  rely  on  the  wind  to  escape  the 
Federalists,  but  rather  on  her  powerful  engines. 

Towards  the  end  of  December  a  trial  of  the  steamer  was 
made  in  the  gulf  of  the  Clyde.  Which  was  the  most 
satisfied,  builder  or  captain,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  The 
new  steamer  shot  along  wonderfully,  and  the  patent  log 
showed  a  speed  of  seventeen  miles  an  hour,  a  speed  which 
as  yet  no  other  boat  had  ever  obtained.  The  Dolphin 
would  certainly  have  gained  by  several  lengths  in  a  sailing 
match  with  the  fastest  opponent. 

The  loading  was  begun  on  the  25th  of  December,  the 
steamer  having  ranged  along  the  steamboat-quay  a  little 
below  Glasgow  Bridge,  the  last  which  stretches  across  the 
Clyde  before  its  mouth.  Here  the  wharfs  were  heaped 
with  a  heavy  cargo  of  clothes,  ammunition,  and  provisions, 
which  were  rapidly  carried  to  the  hold  of  the  Dolphin. 
The  nature  of  this  cargo  betrayed  the  mysterious  desti- 
nation of  the  ship,  and  the  house  of  Play  fair  could  no 
longer  keep  its  secret;  besides,  the  Dolphin  must  not  be 
long  before  she  started.  No  American  cruiser  had  been 
signaled  in  English  waters;  and,  then,  when  the  question 
of  getting  the  crew  came,  how  was  it  possible  to  keep  silent 
any  longer?  They  could  not  embark  them  even,  without 
informing  the  men  whither  they  were  bound,  for,  after  all, 
it  was  a  matter  of  life  and  death,  and  when  one  risks  one's 
life,  at  least  it  is  satisfactory  to  know  how  and  wherefore. 

However,  this  prospect  hindered  no  one;  the  pay  was 
good,  and  everyone  had  a  share  in  the  speculation,  so  that 
a  great  number  of  the  finest  sailors  soon  presented  them- 
selves. James  Playfair  was  only  embarrassed  which  to 
choose,  but  he  chose  well,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  his 
muster-roll  bore  the  names  of  thirty  sailors,  who  would 
have  done  honor  to  her  Majesty's  yacht. 

The  departure  was  settled  for  the  3rd  of  January;  on 
the  31st  of  December  the  Dolphin  was  ready,  her  hold  full 
of  ammunition  and  provisions.  The  skipper  went  on  board 
on  the  2nd  of  January,  and  was  giving  a  last  look  around  his 

108 


(t 
it 


"GETTING    UNDER    SAIL"  109 

ship  with  a  captain's  eye,  when  a  man  presented  himself  at 
the  forepart  of  the  Dolphin,  and  asked  to  speak  with  the 
captain.     One  of  the  sailors  led  him  onto  the  poop. 

He  was  a  strong,  hearty-looking  fellow,  with  broad 
shoulders  and  ruddy  face,  the  simple  expression  of  which 
ill  concealed  a  depth  of  wit  and  mirth.  He  did  not  seem 
to  be  accustomed  to  a  seafaring  life,  and  looked  about  him 
with  the  air  of  a  man  little  used  to  being  on  board  a  ship; 
however,  he  assumed  the  manner  of  a  Jack-tar,  looking  up 
at  the  rigging  of  the  Dolphin,  and  waddling  in  true  sailor 
fashion. 

When  he  had  reached  the  captain,  he  looked  fixedly  at 
him  and  said,  *'  Captain  James  Play  fair?  " 

"  The  same,"  replied  the  skipper.  "  What  do  you  want 
with  me  ?  " 

"  To  join  your  ship." 
There  is  no  room;  the  crew  is  already  complete." 
Oh,  one  man,  more  or  less,  will  not  be  in  the  way;  quite 
the  contrary." 

"  You  think  so?  "  said  James  Playfair,  giving  a  sidelong 
glance  at  his  questioner. 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  replied  the  sailor. 
But  who  are  you.?*  "  asked  the  captain. 
A  rough  sailor,  with  two  strong  arms  which,  I  can  tell 
you,  are  not  to  be  despised  on  board  a  ship,  and  which  I 
now  have  the  honor  of  putting  at  your  service." 

"  But  there  are  other  ships  besides  the  Dolphin,  and  there 
are  other  captains  besides  James  Playfair.  Why  do  you 
come  here?  " 

"  Because  it  is  on  board  the  Dolphin  that  I  wish  to  serve, 
and  under  the  orders  of  Captain  James  Playfair." 

"  I  do  not  want  you." 

"  There  is  always  need  of  a  strong  man,  and  if  to  prove 
my  strength  you  will  try  me  with  three  or  four  of  the 
strongest  fellows  of  your  crew,  I  am  ready." 

"  That  will  do,"  replied  James  Playfair.  "  And  what  is 
your  name?" 

"  Crockston,  at  your  service." 

The  captain  made  a  few  steps  backwards  in  order  to  get 
a  better  view  of  the  giant,  who  presented  himself  in  this 
odd  fashion.  The  height,  the  build,  and  the  look  of  the 
sailor  did  not  deny  his  pretensions  to  strength. 


no  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"  Where  have  you  sailed?  "  asked  Play  fair  of  him. 

"  A  little  everywhere." 

"And  do  you  know  where  the  Dolphin  is  bound  for?  " 
asked  Play  fair. 

"  Yes;  and  that  is  what  tempts  me." 

"  Ah,  well !  I  have  no  mind  to  let  a  fellow  of  your  stamp 
escape  me.  Go  and  find  the  first  mate,  and  get  him  to 
enroll  you." 

Having  said  this  the  captain  expected  to  see  the  man 
turn  on  his  heel  and  run  to  the  bows,  but  he  was  mistaken. 
Crockston  did  not  stir. 

"  Well!  did  you  hear  me?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  but  it  is  not  all,"  replied  the  sailor,  "  I  have  some- 
thing else  to  ask  you." 

"  Ah !  You  are  wasting  my  time,"  replied  James 
sharply ;  "  I  have  not  a  moment  to  lose  in  talking." 

"  I  shall  not  keep  you  long,"  replied  Crockston,  "  two 
words  more  and  that  is  all;  I  was  going  to  tell  you  that  I 
have  a  nephew." 

"  He  has  a  fine  uncle,  then,"  interrupted  James  Playfair. 

"  Hah !  Hah !  "  laughed  Crockston. 

"Have  you  finished?"  asked  the  captain, 

"  Well,  this  is  what  I  have  to  say,  when  one  takes  the 
uncle,  the  nephew  comes  into  the  bargain." 

"Ah!  indeed!" 

"Yes,  that  is  the  custom,  the  one  does  not  go  without 
the  other." 

"And  what  is  this  nephew  of  yours?  " 

"A  lad  of  fifteen  whom  I  am  going  to  train  to  the  sea; 
he  is  willing  to  learn,  and  purely  will  make  a  fine  sailor  some 
day." 

"How  now.  Master  Crockston,"  cried  James  Playfair; 
"  do  you  think  the  Dolphin  is  a  training-school  for  cabin- 
boys?" 

"  Don't  let  us  speak  ill  of  cabin-boys :  there  was  one  of 
them  who  became  Admiral  Nelson,  and  another  Admiral 
Franklin." 

"  Upon  my  honor,  friend,"  replied  James  Playfair,  "  you 
have  a  way  of  speaking  which  I  like;  bring  your  nephew, 
but  if  I  don't  find  the  uncle  the  hearty  fellow  he  pretends 
to  be,  he  will  have  some  business  with  me.  Go,  and  be  back 
in  an  hour." 


"GETTING   UNDER    SAIL"  m 

Crockston  did  not  want  to  be  told  twice;  he  bowed  awk- 
wardly to  the  captain  of  the  Dolphin,  and  went  onto  the 
quay.  An  hour  afterwards  he  came  on  board  with  his 
nephew,  a  boy  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  rather  delicate  and 
weakly-looking,  with  a  timid  and  astonished  air,  which 
showed  that  he  did  not  possess  his  uncle's  self-possession 
and  vigorous  corporeal  qualities.  Crockston  was  even 
obliged  to  encourage  him  by  such  words  as  these,  "  Come," 
said  he,  "  don't  be  frightened,  they  are  not  going  to  eat  us, 
besides  there  is  yet  time  to  return." 

"  No,  no,"  replied  the  young  man,  "  and  may  God  pro- 
tect us ! " 

The  same  day  the  sailor  Crockston  and  his  nephew  were 
inscribed  in  the  muster-roll  of  the  Dolphin. 

The  next  morning,  at  five  o'clock,  the  fires  of  the  steamer 
were  well  fed,  the  deck  trembled  under  the  vibrations  of 
the  boiler,  and  the  steam  rushed  hissing  through  the  escape- 
pipes.     The  hour  of  departure  had  arrived. 

A  considerable  crowd  in  spite  of  the  early  hour  flocked 
pn  the  quays  and  on  Glasgow  Bridge,  they  had  come  to 
salute  the  bold  steamer  for  the  last  time.  Vincent  Play- 
fair  was  there  to  say  good-by  to  Captain  James,  but  he 
conducted  himself  on  this  occasion  like  a  Roman  of  the 
good  old  times.  His  was  a  heroic  countenance,  and  the 
two  loud  kisses  with  which  he  gratified  his  nephew  were  the 
indication  of  a  strong  mind.  "  Go,  James,"  said  he  to  the 
young  captain,  "go  quickly  and  come  back  quicker  still; 
above  all,  don't  abuse  your  position.  Sell  at  a  good  price, 
make  a  good  bargain,  and  you  will  have  your  uncle's 
esteem." 

On  this  recommendation,  borrowed  from  the  manual  of 
the  perfect  merchant,  the  uncle  and  nephew  separated,  and 
all  the  visitors  left  the  boat. 

At  this  moment  Crockston  and  John  Stiggs  stood  to- 
gether on  the  forecastle,  while  the  former  remarked  to  his 
nephew,  "This  is  well,  this  is  well;  before  two  o'clock  we 
shall  be  at  sea,  and  I  have  a  good  opinion  of  a  voyage  which 
begins  like  this." 

For  reply  the  novice  pressed  Crockston's  hand. 

James  Playfair  then  gave  the  orders  for  departure. 
"Have  we  pressure  on.?"  he  asked  of  his  mate. 

"  Yes,  captain,"  replied  Mr.  Mathew. 


112  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"Well,  then,  weigh  anchor."  This  was  immediately 
done,  and  the  screws  began  to  move.  The  Dolphin  passed 
between  the  ships  in  the  port,  and  soon  disappeared  from  the 
sight  of  the  people,  who  shouted  their  last  hurrahs. 

The  descent  of  the  Clyde  was  easily  accomplished,  one 
might  almost  say  that  this  river  had  been  made  by  the 
hand  of  man,  and  even  by  the  hand  of  a  master.  For  sixty 
years,  thanks  to  the  dredges  and  constant  dragging  it  has 
gained  fifteen  feet  in  depth,  and  its  breadth  has  been  tripled 
between  the  quays  and  the  town.  Soon  the  harbor-boats  of 
Glasgow  were  rocked  on  the  waves  which  the  Dolphin 
caused.  Some  miles  farther  on  Greenock,  the  birthplace  of 
James  Watt,  was  passed.  At  last  the  promontory  of 
Cantyre,  which  runs  out  into  the  channel,  was  doubled ;  the 
Isle  of  Rattelin  was  hailed,  the  pilot  returned  by  a  shore- 
boat  to  his  cutter,  which  was  cruising  in  the  open  sea;  the 
Dolphin  returning  to  her  captain's  authority,  took  a  less 
frequented  route  round  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  soon,  hav- 
ing lost  sight  of  the  last  European  land,  found  herself  in 
the  open  ocean. 


CHAPTER   III 

A  FAIR  PASSENGER 

The  Dolphin  had  a  good  crew,  not  fighting  men,  or 
boarding  sailors,  but  good  working  men,  and  that  was  all 
she  wanted.  These  brave,  determined  fellows  were  all, 
more  or  less,  merchants ;  they  sought  a  fortune  rather  than 
glory;  they  had  no  flag  to  display,  no  colors  to  defend 
with  cannon ;  in  fact  all  the  artillery  on  board  consisted  of 
two  small  swivel  signal-guns. 

The  Dolphin  shot  bravely  across  the  water,  and  fulfilled 
the  utmost  expectations  of  both  builder  and  captain.  Soon 
she  passed  the  limit  of  British  seas;  there  was  not  a  ship  in 
sight;  the  great  ocean  route  was  free;  besides  no  ship  of 
the  Federal  marine  would  have  a  right  to  attack  her  beneath 
the  English  flag.  Followed  she  might  be,  and  prevented 
from  forcing  the  blockade,  and  precisely  for  this  reason 
had  James  Playfair  sacrificed  everything  to  the  speed  of  his 
ship,  in  order  not  to  be  pursued. 

Howbeit  a  careful  watch  was  kept  on  board,  and  in  spite 

V.  VII  Verne 


A"   FAIR   PASSENGER  113 

of  the  extreme  cold  a  man  was  always  in  the  rigging  ready- 
to  signal  the  smallest  sail  that  appeared  on  the  horizon. 
When  evening  came,  Captain  James  gave  the  most  precise 
orders  to  Mr.  Mathew. 

"  Don't  leave  the  man  on  watchi  too  long  in  the  rigging, 
the  cold  may  seize  him,  and  in  that  case  it  is  impossible  to 
keep  a  good  look-out;  change  your  men  often." 

"  I  understand,  captain,"  replied  Mr.  Mathew. 

"  Try  Crockston  for  that  work ;  the  fellow  pretends  to 
have  excellent  sight ;  it  must  be  put  to  trial ;  put  him  on  the 
morning  watch,  he  will  have  the  morning  mists  to  see 
through.     If  anything  particular  happens  call  me." 

This  said,  James  Playfair  went  to  his  cabin.  Mr. 
Mathew  called  Crockston,  and  told  him  the  captain's  orders. 

"To-morrow,  at  six  o'clock,"  said  he,  "  you  are  to  relieve 
watch  of  the  main-masthead." 

For  reply,  Crockston  gave  a  decided  grunt,  but  Mr. 
Mathew  had  hardly  turned  his  back  when  the  sailor  mut- 
tered some  incomprehensible  words,  and  cried,  "  What  on 
earth  did  he  say  about  the  main-mast?  " 

At  this  moment  his  nephew,  John  Stiggs,  joined  him  on 
the  forecastle. 

"  Well,  my  good  Crockston,"  said  he. 

"  It's  all  right,  all  right,"  said  the  seaman,  with  a  forced 
smile ;  "  there  is  only  one  thing,  this  wretched  boat  shakes 
herself  like  a  dog  coming  out  of  the  water,  and  it  makes 
my  head  confused." 

"  Dear  Crockston,  and  it  is  for  my  sake," 

"  For  you  and  him,"  replied  Crockston,  "  but  not  a  word 
about  that,  John;  trust  God,  and  He  will  not  forsake  you." 

So  saying,  John  Stiggs  and  Crockston  went  to  the  sailor's 
berth,  but  the  sailor  did  not  lie  down  before  he  had  seen  the 
young  novice  comfortably  settled  in  the  narrow  cabin  which 
he  had  got  for  him. 

The  next  day,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Crockston 
got  up  to  go  to  his  place ;  he  went  on  deck,  where  the  first 
officer  ordered  him  to  go  up  into  the  rigging,  and  keep  good 
watch. 

At  these  words  the  sailor  seemed  undecided  what  to  do ; 
then  making  up  his  mind,  he  went  towards  the  bows  of  the 
Dolphin. 

"  Well,  where  are  you  off  to  now?  "  cried  Mr.  Mathew. 


114  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"  Where  you  sent  me,"  answered  Crockston. 

"  I  told  you  to  go  to  the  main-mast." 

"  And  I  am  going  there,"  replied  the  sailor,  in  an  uncon- 
cerned tone,  continuing  his  way  to  the  poop. 

"  Are  you  a  fool?  "  cried  Mr.  Mathew  impatiently;  "  you 
are  looking  for  the  bars  of  the  main  on  the  foremast.  You 
are  like  a  cockney,  who  doesn't  know  how  to  twist  a  cat- 
o'-nine-tails,  or  make  a  splice.  On  board  what  ship  can  you 
have  been,  man?     The  main-mast,  stupid,  the  main-mast! " 

The  sailors  who  had  run  up  to  hear  what  was  going  on, 
burst  out  laughing,  when  they  saw  Crockston's  disconcerted 
look,  as  he  went  back  to  the  forecastle. 

"  So,"  said  he,  looking  up  the  mast,  the  top  of  which  was 
quite  invisible  through  the  morning  mists ;  "  so,  am  I  to 
climb  up  here?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Mathew,  "and  hurry  yourself!  By 
St.  Patrick  a  Federal  ship  would  have  time  to  get  her  bow- 
sprit fast  in  our  rigging  before  that  lazy  fellow  could  get  to 
his  post.     Will  you  go  up?  " 

Without  a  word,  Crockston  got  on  the  bulwarks  with 
some  difficulty;  then  he  began  to  climb  the  rigging  with 
most  visible  awkwardness,  like  a  man  who  did  not  know  how 
to  make  use  of  his  hands  or  feet.  When  he  had  reached  the 
top-gallant,  instead  of  springing  lightly  onto  it,  he  remained 
motionless,  clinging  to  the  ropes,  as  if  he  had  been  seized 
with  giddiness.  Mr.  Mathew,  irritated  by  his  stupidity,  or- 
dered him  to  come  down  immediately. 

"  That  fellow  there,"  said  he  to  the  boatswain,  "  has  never 
been  a  sailor  in  his  life.  Johnston,  just  go  and  see  what 
he  has  in  his  bundle." 

The  boatswain  made  haste  to  the  sailor's  berth. 

In  the  meantime  Crockston  was  with  difficulty  coming 
down  again,  but  his  foot  having  slipped,  he  slid  down  the 
rope  he  had  hold  of,  and  fell  heavily  on  the  deck. 

"  Clumsy  blockhead !  land-lubber ! "  cried  Mr.  Mathew, 
by  way  of  consolation.  "  What  did  you  come  to  do  on 
board  the  Dolphinl  Ah!  you  entered  as  an  able  seaman, 
and  you  cannot  even  tell  the  main  from  the  foremast!  I 
shall  have  a  little  talk  with  you." 

Crockston  made  no  attempt  to  speak;  he  bent  his  back 
like  a  man  resigned  for  anything  he  might  have  to  bear; 
just  then  the  boatswain  returned. 


t( 


A    FAIR    PASSENGER  115 

"  This,"  said  he  to  the  first  officer,  "  is  all  that  I  have 
found;  a  suspicious  portfolio  with  letters." 

"  Give  them  here,"  said  Mr.  Mathew.  "  Letters  with 
Federal  stamps!  Mr.  Halliburtt,  of  Boston!  An  abo- 
litionist! a  Federalist!  Wretch!  you  are  nothing  but  a 
traitor,  and  have  sneaked  on  board  to  betray  us !  Never 
mind,  you  will  be  paid  for  your  trouble  with  the  cat-o'-nine- 
tails! Boatswain,  call  the  captain,  and  you  others,  just 
keep  an  eye  on  that  rogue  there." 

Crockston  received  these  compliments  with  a  hideous 
grimace,  but  did  not  open  his  lips.  They  had  fastened  him 
to  the  capstan,  and  he  could  move  neither  hand  nor  foot. 

A  few  moments  later  James  Playfair  came  hastening  to 
the  forecastle,  where  Mr.  Mathew  immediately  acquainted 
him  with  the  details  of  the  case. 

"  What  have  you  to  say.?  "  asked  James  Playfair,  scarcely 
able  to  restrain  his  anger. 

"  Nothing,"  replied  Crockston. 
And  what  did  you  come  on  board  my  ship  for?  " 
Nothing." 

"  And  what  do  you  expect  from  me  now  ?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"Who  are  you?  An  American,  as  these  letters  seem  to 
prove?  " 

Crockston  did  not  answer. 

"  Boatswain,"  said  James  Playfair,  "  fifty  lashes  with  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails  to  loosen  his  tongue.  Will  that  be  enough, 
Crockston?  " 

"  It  will  remain  to  be  seen,"  replied  John  Stiggs's  uncle 
without  moving  a  muscle. 

"  Now  then,  come  along,  men,"  said  the  boatswain. 

At  this  order,  two  strong  sailors  stripped  Crockston  of 
his  woolen  jersey;  they  had  already  seized  the  formidable 
weapon,  and  laid  it  across  the  prisoner's  shoulders,  when 
the  novice,  John  Stiggs,  very  pale  and  agitated,  hurried  on 
deck. 

"  Captain !  "  exclaimed  he. 
Ah!  the  nephew!  "  remarked  James  Playfair. 
Captain,"  repeated  the  novice,  with  a  violent  effort  to 
steady  his  voice,  "  I  will  tell  you  what  Crockston  does  not 
want  to  say.     I  will  hide  it  no  longer;  yes,  he  is  American, 
and  so  am  I;  we  are  both  enemies  of  the  slave-holders,  but 


u 


ii6  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

not  traitors  come  on  board  to  betray  the  Dolphin  into  the 
hands  of  the  Federalists." 

*' What  did  you  come  to  do,  then?"  asked  the  captain, 
in  a  severe  tone,  examining  the  novice  attentively.  The 
latter  hesitated  a  few  seconds  before  replying,  then  he  said, 
"  Captain,  I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  in  private." 

Whilst  John  Stiggs  made  this  request,  James  Playfair 
did  not  cease  to  look  carefully  at  him ;  the  sweet  young  face 
of  the  novice,  his  peculiarly  gentle  voice,  the  delicacy  and 
whiteness  of  his  hands,  hardly  disguised  by  paint,  the  large 
eyes,  the  animation  of  which  could  not  hide  their  tenderness 
— all  this  together  gave  rise  to  a  certain  suspicion  in  the 
captain's  mind.  When  John  Stiggs  had  made  his  request, 
Playfair  glanced  fixedly  at  Crockston,  who  shrugged  his 
shoulders ;  then  he  fastened  a  questioning  look  on  the  novice, 
which  the  latter  could  not  withstand,  and  said  simply  to 
him,  "  Come." 

John  Stiggs  followed  the  captain  onto  the  poop,  and 
then  James  Playfair,  opening  the  door  of  his  cabin,  said  to 
the  novice,  whose  cheeks  were  pale  with  emotion,  "  Be  so 
kind  as  to  walk  in,  miss." 

John,  thus  addressed,  blushed  violently,  and  two  tears 
rolled  involuntarily  down  his  cheeks. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed  miss,"  said  James  Playfair,  in  a  gentle 
voice,  "  but  be  so  good  as  to  tell  me  how  I  come  to  have  the 
honor  of  having  you  on  board?  " 

The  young  girl  hesitated  a  moment,  then  reassured  by 
the  captain's  look,  she  made  up  her  mind  to  speak. 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  **  I  wanted  to  join  my  father  at  Charles- 
ton; the  town  is  besieged  by  land  and  blockaded  by  sea.  I 
knew  not  how  to  get  there,  when  I  heard  that  the  Dolphin 
meant  to  force  the  blockade  I  came  on  board  your  ship, 
and  I  beg  you  to  forgive  me  if  I  acted  without  your  consent, 
which  you  would  have  refused  me." 

"  I  certainly  would,"  said  James  Playfair. 

"  I  did  well,  then,  not  to  ask  you,"  resumed  the  young  girl, 
with  a  firmer  voice. 

The  captain  crossed  his  arms,  walked  round  his  cabin, 
and  then  came  back. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Jenny  Halliburtt." 

"  Your  father,  if  I  remember  rightly  the  address  on  the 
letters,  is  he  not  from  Boston?  " 


A   FAIR   PASSENGER  117 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  a  Northerner  is  thus  in  a  southern  town  in  the 
thickest  of  the  war?  " 

"  My  father  is  a  prisoner;  he  was  at  Charleston  when  the 
first  shot  of  the  Civil  War  was  fired,  and  the  troops  of  the 
Union  driven  from  Fort  Sumter  by  the  Confederates.  My 
father's  opinions  exposed  him  to  the  hatred  of  the  South- 
erner and  by  the  order  of  General  Beauregard  he  was  im- 
prisoned. I  was  then  in  England,  living  with  a  relation 
who  has  just  died,  and  left  alone  with  no  help  but  that  of 
Crockston,  our  faithful  servant,  I  wished  to  go  to  my  father 
and  share  his  prison  with  him." 

"  What  is  Mr.  Halliburtt?  "  asked  James  Play  fair. 

"A  loyal  and  brave  journalist,"  replied  Jenny  proudly, 
"  one  of  the  noblest  editors  of  the  Tribune,  and  the  one  who 
was  the  boldest  in  defending  the  cause  of  the  negroes. 

"An  Abolitionist,"  cried  the  captain  angrily;  "one  of 
those  men,  who,  under  the  vain  pretense  of  abolishing 
slavery,  have  deluged  their  country  with  blood  and  ruin." 

"  Sir !  "  replied  Jenny  Halliburtt,  growing  pale,  "  you  are 
insulting  my  father ;  you  must  not  forget  that  I  stand  alone 
to  defend  him." 

The  young  captain  blushed  scarlet;  anger  mingled  with 
shame  struggled  in  his  breast;  perhaps  he  would  have  an- 
swered the  young  girl,  but  he  succeeded  in  restraining  him- 
self, and  opening  the  door  of  the  cabin,  he  called  "  Boat- 
swain ! " 

The  boatswain  came  to  him  directly. 

"This  cabin  will  henceforward  belong  to  Miss  Jenny 
Halliburtt ;  have  a  cot  made  ready  for  me  at  the  end  of  the 
poop;  that's  all  I  want. 

The  boatswain  looked  with  a  stupefied  stare  at  the  young 
novice  addressed  in  a  feminine  name,  but  on  a  sign  from 
James  Playfair  he  went  out. 

"  And  now,  miss,  you  are  at  home,"  said  the  young  cap- 
tain of  the  Dolphin.    Then  he  retired. 


CHAPTER  IV 
crockston's  trick 

Soon  the  whole  crew  knew  Miss  Halliburtt's  story,  which 
Crockston  was  no  longer  hindered  from  telling.  By  the 
captain's  orders  he  was  released  from  the  capstan,  and  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails  returned  to  its  place. 

"  A  pretty  animal,"  said  Crockston,  "  especially  when  it 
shows  its  velvety  paws." 

As  soon  as  he  was  free,  he  went  down  to  the  sailors' 
berths,  found  a  small  portmanteau,  and  carried  it  to  Miss 
Jenny;  the  young  girl  was  now  able  to  resume  her  feminine 
attire,  but  she  remained  in  her  cabin,  and  did  not  again 
appear  on  deck.  As  for  Crockston,  it  was  agreed  that,  as 
he  was  no  more  a  sailor  than  a  horse-guard,  he  should  be 
exempt  from  all  duty  on  board. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Dolphin,  with  her  twin  screws  cut- 
ting the  waves,  sped  rapidly  across  the  Atlantic,  and  there 
was  nothing  now  to  do  but  keep  a  strict  look  out.  The 
day  following  the  discovery  of  Miss  Jenny's  identity,  James 
Playfair  paced  the  deck  at  the  poop  with  a  rapid  step;  he 
had  made  no  attempt  to  see  the  young  girl  and  resume  the 
conversation  of  the  day  before. 

Whilst  he  was  walking  to  and  fro,  Crockston  passed  him 
several  times,  looking  at  him  askant  with  a  satisfied  grin; 
he  evidently  wanted  to  speak  to  the  captain,  and  at  last  his 
persistent  manner  attracted  the  attention  of  the  latter,  who 
said  to  him,  impatienly,  "What  do  you  want?  You  are 
turning  round  me  like  a  swimmer  round  a  buoy;  when  are 
you  going  to  leave  off?  " 

"  Excuse  me,  capain,"  answered  Crockston,  winking, 
"  I  wanted  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Speak,  then." 

"  Oh,  it  is  nothing  very  much,  I  only  wanted  to  tell  you 
frankly  that  you  are  a  good  fellow  at  bottom." 

"Why  at  bottom?" 

"  At  bottom  and  surface  also." 

"  I  don't  want  your  compliments." 

"  I  am  not  complimenting  you,  I  shall  wait  to  do  that 
when  you  have  gone  to  the  end." 

"To  what  end?" 

"  To  the  end  of  your  task." 

"Ah!  I  have  a  task  to  fulfill?" 

118 


CROCKSTON'S    TRICK  119 

"  Decidedly,  you  have  taken  the  young  girl  and  myself 
on  board;  good.  You  have  given  up  your  cabin  to  Miss 
Halliburtt;  good.  You  released  me  from  the  cat-o'-nine- 
tails; nothing  could  be  better.  You  are  going  to  take  us 
straight  to  Charleston;  that's  certainly  delightful,  but  it  is 
not  all." 

"  How  not  all?  "  cried  James  Play  fair,  amazed  at  Crock- 
ston's  boldness. 

"No,  certainly  not,"  replied  the  latter,  with  a  knowing 
look,  "  the  father  is  prisoner  there." 

"Well,  what  about  that.?" 

"  Well,  the  father  must  be  rescued." 

"Rescue  Miss  Halliburtt's  father?" 

"  Most  certainly,  and  it  is  worth  risking  something  for 
such  a  noble  man  and  courageous  citizen  as  he." 

"  Master  Crockston,"  said  James  Playfair,  frowning,  "  I 
am  not  in  the  humor  for  your  jokes,  so  have  a  care  what  you 
say." 

"  You  misunderstand  me,  captain,"  said  the  American. 
"  I  am  not  joking  in  the  least,  but  speaking  quite  seriously. 
What  I  have  proposed  may  at  first  seem  very  absurd  to  you ; 
when  you  have  thought  it  over  you  will  see  that  you  cannot 
do  otherwise." 

"  What,  do  you  mean  that  I  must  deliver  Mr.  Halli- 
burtt?" 

"  Just  so,  you  can  demand  his  release  of  General  Beaure- 
gard, who  will  not  refuse  you." 

"But  if  he  does  refuse  me?" 

"  In  that  case,"  replied  Crockston,  in  a  deliberate  tone, 
"  we  must  use  stronger  measures,  and  carry  off  the  prisoner 
by  force." 

"  So,"  cried  James  Playfair,  who  was  beginning  to  get 
angry,  "  so,  not  content  with  passing  through  the  Federal 
fleets  and  forcing  the  blockade  of  Charleston,  I  must  run 
out  to  sea  again  from  under  the  cannon  of  the  forts,  and  this 
to  deliver  a  gentleman  I  know  nothing  of,  one  of  those 
Abolitionists  whom  I  detest,  one  of  those  journalists  who 
shed  ink  instead  of  their  blood !  " 

"  Oh !  it  is  but  a  cannon-shot  more  or  less !  "  added 
Crockston. 

"  Master  Crockston,"  said  James  Playfair,  "  mind  what  I 
say;  if  ever  you  mention  this  affair  again  to  me,  I  will  send 


I20  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

you  to  the  hold  for  the  rest  of  the  passage,  to  teach  you 


manners." 


Thus  saying,  the  captain  dismissed  the  American,  who 
went  off  murmuring,  Ah,  well,  I  am  not  altogether  dis- 
pleased with  this  conversation:  at  any  rate,  the  affair  is 
broached ;  it  will  do,  it  will  do ! " 

James  Playfair  had  hardly  meant  it  when  he  said  an 
Abolitionist  whom  I  detest;  he  did  not  in  the  least  side 
with  the  Federals,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  admit  that  the 
question  of  slavery  was  the  predominant  reason  for  the  civil 
war  of  the  United  States,  in  spite  of  President  Lincoln's 
formal  declaration.  Did  he  then  think  that  the  Southern 
States,  eight  out  of  thirty-six,  were  right  in  separating  when 
they  had  been  voluntarily  united?  Not  so;  he  detested  the 
Northerners,  and  that  was  all ;  he  detested  them  as  brothers 
separated  from  the  common  family — true  Englishmen — 
who  had  thought  it  right  to  do  what  he,  James  Playfair, 
disapproved  of  with  regard  to  the  United  States :  these  were 
the  political  opinions  of  the  captain  of  the  Dolphin.  But 
more  than  this,  the  American  war  interfered  with  him  per- 
sonally, and  he  had  a  grudge  against  those  who  had  caused 
this  war;  one  can  understand  then,  how  he  would  receive 
a  proposition  to  deliver  an  Abolitionist,  thus  bringing  down 
on  him  the  Confederates,  with  whom  he  intended  to  do  busi- 
ness. 

However,  Crockston's  insinuation  did  not  fail  to  disturb 
him,  he  cast  the  thought  from  him,  but  it  returned  unceas^ 
ingly  to  his  mind,  and  when  Miss  Jenny  came  on  deck  the 
next  day  for  a  few  minutes,  he  dared  not  look  her  in  the 
face. 

And  really  it  was  a  great  pity,  for  this  young  girl  with 
the  fair  hair  and  sweet,  intelligent  face  deserved  to  be  looked 
at  by  a  young  man  of  thirty.  But  James  felt  embarrassed 
in  her  presence;  he  felt  that  this  charming  creature  who  had 
been  educated  in  the  school  of  misfortune  possessed  a  strong 
and  generous  soul;  he  understood  that  his  silence  towards 
her  inferred  a  refusal  to  acquiesce  in  her  dearest  wishes; 
besides.  Miss  Jenny  never  looked  out  for  James  Playfair, 
neither  did  she  avoid  him.  Thus  for  the  first  few  days  they 
spoke  little  or  not  at  all  to  each  other.  Miss  Halliburtt 
scarcely  ever  left  her  cabin,  and  it  is  certain  she  would  never 
have  addressed  herself  to  the  captain  of  the  Dolphin  if  it 


CROCKSTON'S    TRICK  121 

had  not  been  for  Crockston's  strategy,  which  brought  both 
parties  together. 

The  worthy  American  was  a  faithful  servant  of  the 
Halliburtt  family,  he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  master's 
house  and  his  devotion  knew  no  bounds.  His  good  sense 
equalled  his  courage  and  energy,  and,  as  has  been  seen,  he 
had  a  way  of  looking  things  straight  in  the  face.  He  was 
very  seldom  discouraged,  and  could  generally  find  a  way 
out  of  the  most  intricate  dangers  with  a  wonderful  skill. 

This  honest  fellow  had  taken  it  into  his  head  to  deliver 
Mr.  Halliburtt,  to  employ  the  captain's  ship,  and  the  cap- 
tain himself  for  this  purpose,  and  to  return  with  him  to 
England.  Such  was  his  intention,  so  long  as  the  young  girl 
had  no  other  object  than  to  rejoin  her  father  and  share  his 
captivity.  It  was  this  Crockston  tried  to  make  the  captain 
understand,  as  we  have  seen,  but  the  enemy  had  not  yet 
surrendered,  on  the  contrary. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  Miss 
Jenny  and  the  captain  come  to  an  understanding;  if  they 
are  going  to  be  sulky  like  this  all  the  passage  we  shall  get 
nothing  done;  they  must  speak,  discuss;  let  them  dispute 
even,  so  long  as  they  talk,  and  I'll  be  hanged  if  during  their 
conversation  James  Playfair  does  not  propose  himself  what 
he  refused  me  to-day." 

But  when  Crockston  saw  that  the  young  girl  and  the 
young  man  avoided  each  other,  he  began  to  be  perplexed. 
"  We  must  look  sharp,"  said  he  to  himself,  and  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  day  he  entered  Miss  Halliburtt's  cabin,  rubbing 
his  hands  with  an  air  of  perfect  satisfaction. 

"  Good  news !  "  cried  he,  "  good  news !  You  will  never 
guess  what  the  captain  has  proposed  to  me.  A  very  noble 
young  man  he  is.     Now  try." 

"  Ah !  "  replied  Jenny,  whose  heart  beat  violently,  "  has 
he  proposed  to " 

"  To  deliver  Mr.  Halliburtt,  to  carry  him  off  from  the 
Confederates,  and  bring  him  to  England." 

"  Is  it  true?  "  cried  Jenny. 

"  It  is,  as  I  say,  miss.  What  a  good-hearted  man  this 
James  Playfair  is!  These  English  are  either  all  good  or  all 
bad.  Ah !  he  may  reckon  on  my  gratitude,  and  I  am  ready 
to  cut  myself  in  pieces  if  it  would  please  him." 

Jenny's  joy  was  profound  on  hearing  Crockston's  words. 


122  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

Deliver  her  father !  she  had  never  dared  to  think  of  such  a 
plan,  and  the  captain  of  the  Dolphin  was  going  to  risk  his 
ship  and  crew ! 

"  That's  what  he  is,"  added  Crockston;  "  and  this.  Miss 
Jenny,  is  well  worth  an  acknowledgment  from  you." 

"More  than  an  acknowledgment,"  cried  the  young  girl; 
"  a  lasting  friendship!  " 

And  immediately  she  left  the  cabin  to  find  James  Play- 
fair,  and  express  to  him  the  sentiments  which  flowed  from 
her  heart. 

"  Getting  on  by  degrees,"  muttered  the  American. 

James  Play  fair  was  pacing  to  and  fro  on  the  poop,  and, 
as  may  be  thought,  he  was  very  much  surprised,  not  to  say 
amazed,  to  see  the  young  girl  come  up  to  him,  her  eyes  moist 
with  grateful  tears,  and  hold  out  her  hand  to  him  saying, 
"  Thank  you,  sir,  thank  you  for  your  kindness,  which  I 
should  never  have  dared  to  expect  from  a  stranger." 

"  Miss,"  replied  the  captain,  as  if  he  understood  nothing 
of  what  she  was  talking,  "  I  do  not  know " 

"  Nevertheless,  sir,  you  are  going  to  brave  many  dangers, 
perhaps  compromise  your  interests  for  me,  and  you  have 
done  so  much  already  in  offering  me  on  board  an  hospi- 
tality to  which  I  have  no  right  whatever " 

"  Pardon  me.  Miss  Jenny,"  interrupted  James  Playfair, 
"  but  I  protest  again  I  do  not  understand  your  words ;  I  have 
acted  towards  you  as  any  well-bred  man  would  towards  a 
lady,  and  my  conduct  deserves  neither  so  many  thanks  nor 
so  much  gratitude." 

"  Mr.  Playfair,"  said  Jenny,  "  it  is  useless  to  pretend  any 
longer ;  Crockston  has  told  me  all !  " 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  captain,  "  Crockston  has  told  you  all, 
then  I  understand  less  than  ever  the  reason  for  your  leaving 
your  cabin,  and  saying  these  words  which " 

Whilst  speaking  the  captain  felt  very  much  embarrassed ; 
he  remembered  the  rough  way  in  which  he  had  received  the 
American's  overtures,  but  Jenny,  fortunately  for  him,  did 
not  give  him  time  for  further  explanation;  she  interrupted 
him,  holding  out  her  hand  and  saying,  "  Mr.  James,  I  had 
no  other  object  in  coming  on  board  your  ship  except  to  go 
to  Charleston,  and  there,  however  cruel  the  slave-holders 
may  be,  they  will  not  refuse  to  let  a  poor  girl  share  her 
father's  prison,  that  was  all;  I  had  never  thought  of  a  return 


CROCKSTON'S    TRICK  123 

as  possible ;  but  since  you  are  so  generous  as  to  wish  for  my 
father's  deliverance,  since  you  will  attempt  everything  to 
save  him,  be  assured  you  have  my  deepest  gratitude." 

James  did  not  know  what  to  do  or  what  part  to  assume; 
he  bit  his  lip;  he  dared  not  take  the  hand  offered  him;  he 
saw  perfectly  that  Crockston  had  compromised  him,  so  that 
escape  was  impossible ;  at  the  same  time  he  had  no  thoughts 
of  delivering  Mr.  HalHburtt,  and  getting  complicated  in  a 
disagreeable  business;  but  how  dash  to  the  ground  the  hope 
which  had  arisen  in  this  poor  girl's  heart?  How  refuse  the 
hand  which  she  held  out  to  him  with  a  feeling  of  such  pro- 
found friendship?  How  change  to  tears  of  grief  the  tears 
of  gratitude  which  filled  her  eyes? 

So  the  young  man  tried  to  reply  evasively,  in  a  manner 
which  would  leave  him  liberty  of  action.  "  Miss  Jenny," 
said  he,  "  rest  assured  I  will  do  everything  in  my  power 
for " 

And  he  took  the  little  hand  in  both  of  his,  but  with  the 
gentle  pressure  he  felt  his  heart  melt  and  his  head  grow 
confused :  words  to  express  his  thoughts  failed  him.  He 
stammered  out  some  incoherent  words,  "  Miss — Miss  Jenny 
^ — for  you " 

Crockston,  who  was  watching  him,  rubbed  his  hands, 
grinning  and  repeating  to  himself,  "  It  will  come !  it  will 
come!  it  has  come!  " 

How  James  Playfair  would  have  managed  to  extricate 
himself  from  his  embarrassing  position  no  one  knows,  but 
fortunately  for  him,  if  not  for  the  Dolphin,  the  man  on 
watch  was  heard  crying,  "  Ahoy,  officer  of  the  watch! " 

"What  now.?"  asked  Mr.  Mathew. 

"  A  sail  to  windward !  " 

James  Playfair,  leaving  the  young  girl,  immediately 
sprang  to  the  shrouds  of  the  main-mast. 

CHAPTER  V 

THE    SHOT     FROM     THE    "  IROQUOIS/'    AND     MISS    JENNY'S 

ARGUMENTS 

Until  now  the  navigation  of  the  Dolphin  had  been  very 
fortunate  Not  one  ship  had  been  signaled  before  the  sail 
hailed  by  the  man  on  watch. 

The  Dolphin  was  then  in  32°  51'  latitude,  and  57°  43'  west 


124  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

longitude.  For  forty-eight  hours  a  fog  which  now  began 
to  rise  had  covered  the  ocean.  If  this  mist  favored  the 
Dolphin  by  hiding  her  course,  it  also  prevented  any  observa- 
tions at  a  distance  being  made,  and,  without  being  aware 
of  it,  she  might  be  sailing  side  by  side,  so  to  speak,  with 
the  ships  she  wished  most  to  avoid.  Now  this  is  just  what 
had  happened,  and  when  the  ship  was  signaled  she  was  only 
three  miles  to  windward. 

When  James  Play  fair  had  reached  the  bars,  he  saw  dis- 
tinctly, through  an  opening  in  the  mist,  a  large  Federal 
corvette  in  full  pursuit  of  the  Dolphin. 

After  having  carefully  examined  her,  the  captain  came 
down  on  deck  again,  and  called  the  first  officer. 

"  Mr.  Mathew,"  said  he,  "  what  do  you  think  of  this 
ship?" 

"  I  think,  captain,  that  it  is  a  Feedral  cruiser,  which  sus- 
pects our  intentions." 

"  There  is  no  possible  doubt  of  her  nationality,"  said 
James  Playfair.     "  Look !  " 

At  this  moment  the  starry  flag  of  the  United  States  ap- 
peared on  the  gaff-yards  of  the  corvette,  and  the  latter  as- 
serted her  colors  with  a  cannon-shot. 

"  An  invitation  to  show  our  colors,"  said  Mr.  Mathew. 
"Well,  let  us  show  them;  there  is  nothing  to  be  ashamed 
of." 

"  What's  the  good?  "  replied  James  Playfair.  "  Our  flag 
will  hardly  protect  us,  and  it  will  not  hinder  those  people 
from  paying  us  a  visit?     No;  let  us  go  ahead." 

"  And  go  quickly,"  replied  Mr.  Mathew,  "  for  if  my  eyes 
do  not  deceive  me,  I  have  already  seen  that  corvette  lying 
off  Liverpool,  where  she  went  to  watch  the  ships  in  build- 
ing; my  name  is  not  Mathew,  if  that  is  not  The  Iroquois  on 
her  taffrail." 

"And  is  she  fast?" 

"  One  of  the  fastest  vessels  of  the  Federal  marine." 

"  What  guns  does  she  carry  ?  " 

"  Eight." 

"  Pooh." 

"  Oh,  don't  shrug  your  shoulders,  captain,"  said  Mr. 
Mathew,  in  a  serious  tone ;  "  two  out  of  those  eight  guns  are 
rifled,  one  is  a  sixty-pounder  on  the  forecastle,  and  the  other 
a  hundred-pounder  on  deck." 


THE   SHOT   FROM   THE   "IROQUOIS"    125 

"  Upon  my  soul !  "  exclaimed  James  Playfair,  "  they  are 
Parrott's,  and  will  carry  three  miles." 

"  Yes,  and  further  than  that,  captain." 

"  Ah,  well !  Mr.  Mathew,  let  their  guns  be  sixty  or  only 
four-pounders,  and  let  them  carry  three  miles  or  five  hun- 
dred yards,  it  is  all  the  same  if  we  can  go  fast  enough  to 
avoid  their  shot.  We  will  show  this  Iroquois  how  a  ship 
can  go  when  she  is  built  on  purpose  to  go.  Have  the  fires 
well  banked  up,  Mr.  Mathew." 

The  first  officer  gave  the  captain's  orders  to  the  engineer, 
and  soon  volumes  of  black  smoke  curled  from  the  chimneys. 

This  proceeding  did  not  seem  to  please  the  corvette,  for 
she  made  the  Dolphin  the  signal  to  lie  to,  but  James  Play- 
fair  paid  no  attention  to  this  warning,  and  did  not  change 
his  ship's  course. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  see  what  the  Iroquois  will  do; 
there  is  a  fine  opportunity  for  her  to  try  her  guns;  go  ahead 
full  speed!" 

"  Good!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Mathew;  "  she  will  not  be  long 
in  saluting  us." 

Returning  to  the  poop,  the  captain  saw  Miss  Halliburtt 
sitting  quietly  near  the  bulwarks. 

"  Miss  Jenny,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  probably  be  chased  by 
that  corvette  you  see  to  windward,  and  as  she  will  speak  to 
us  with  shot,  I  beg  to  offer  you  my  arm  to  take  you  to  your 
cabin  again." 

"  Thank  you,  very  much,  Mr.  Playfair,"  replied  the  young 
girl,  looking  at  him,  "  but  I  am  not  afraid  of  cannon-shots." 

"  However,  miss,  in  spite  of  the  distance,  there  may  be 
some  danger." 

"  Oh,  I  was  not  brought  up  to  be  fearful ;  they  accustom 
us  to  everything  in  America,  and  I  assure  you  that  the  shot 
from  the  Iroquois  will  not  make  me  lower  my  head." 

"  You  are  brave.  Miss  Jenny." 

"  Let  us  admit,  then,  that  I  am  brave,  and  allow  me  to 
stay  by  you." 

"  I  can  refuse  you  nothing.  Miss  Halliburtt,"  replied  the 
captain,  looking  at  the  young  girl's  calm  face. 

These  words  were  hardly  uttered  when  they  saw  a  line 
of  white  smoke  issue  from  the  bulwarks  of  the  corvette; 
before  the  report  had  reached  the  Dolphin  a  projectile 
whizzed  through  the  air  in  the  direction  of  the  steamer. 


126  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

At  about  twenty  fathoms  from  the  Dolphin  the  shot,  the 
speed  of  which  had  sensibly  lessened,  skimmed  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  waves,  marking  its  passage  by  a  series  of  water- 
jets;  then,  with  another  burst,  it  rebounded  to  a  certain 
height,  passed  over  the  Dolphin,  grazing  the  mizzen-yards  on 
the  starboard  side,  fell  at  thirty  fathoms  beyond  and  was 
buried  in  the  waves. 

"By  Jove!"  exclaimed  James  Play  fair,  "we  must  get 
along;  another  slap  like  that  is  not  to  be  waited  for." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Mathew,  "they  will  take  some 
time  to  reload  such  pieces." 

"  Upon  my  honor,  it  is  an  interesting  sight,"  said  Crock- 
ston,  who,  with  arms  crossed,  stood  perfectly  at  his  ease 
looking  at  the  scene,  "  and  to  say  they  are  friends  who  send 
such  brandy-balls ! " 

"Ah!  that's  you,"  cried  James  Playfair,  scanning  the 
American  from  head  to  foot. 

"  It  is  me,  captain,"  replied  the  American  undisturbed. 
"  I  have  come  to  see  how  these  brave  Federals  fire;  not 
badly,  in  truth,  not  badly." 

The  captain  was  going  to  answer  Crockston  sharply,  but 
at  this  moment  a  second  shot  struck  the  sea  on  the  starboard 
side. 

"  Good,"  cried  James  Playfair,  "  we  have  already  gained 
two  cables  on  this  Iroquois.  Your  friends  sail  like  a  buoy; 
do  you  hear.  Master  Crockston  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  say  they  don't,"  replied  the  American,  "  and 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life  it  pleases  me." 

A  third  shot  fell  still  farther  astern,  and  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  the  Dolphin  was  out  of  range  of  the  corvette's  guns. 

"  So  much  for  patent-logs,  Mr.  Mathew,"  said  James 
Playfair;  "thanks  to  those  shot  we  know  how  to  rate  our 
speed.  Now  have  the  fires  lowered;  it  is  not  worth  while 
to  waste  our  coal  uselessly." 

"  It  is  a  good  ship  that  you  command,"  said  Miss  Halli- 
burtt  to  the  young  captain. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Jenny,  my  good  Dolphin,  makes  her  seven- 
teen knots,  and  before  the  day  is  over,  we  shall  have  lost 
sight  of  that  corvette." 

James  Playfair  did  not  exaggerate  the  sailing  qualities 
of  his  ship,  and  the  sun  had  not  set  before  the  masts  of 
the  American  ship  had  disappeared  below  the  horizon. 


THE    SHOT    FROM    THE    "IROQUOIS"     127 

This  incident  allowed  the  captain  to  see  Miss  Halliburtt's 
character  in  a  new  light;  besides,  the  ice  was  broken,  hence- 
forward, during  the  whole  of  the  voyage,  the  interviews  be- 
tween the  captain  and  his  passenger  were  frequent  and  pro- 
longed; he  found  her  to  be  a  young  girl,  calm,  strong, 
thoughtful,  and  intelligent,  speaking  with  great  ease,  hav- 
ing her  own  ideas  about  everything,  and  expressing  her 
thoughts  with  a  conviction  which  unconsciously  penetrated 
James  Playfair's  heart. 

She  loved  her  country,  she  was  zealous  in  the  great  cause 
of  the  Union,  and  expressed  herself  on  the  civil  war  in  the 
United  States  with  an  enthusiasm  of  which  no  other  woman 
would  have  been  capable.  Thus  it  happened,  more  than  once, 
that  James  Playfair  found  it  difficult  to  answer  her,  even 
when  questions  purely  mercantile  arose  in  connection  with 
the  war :  Miss  Jenny  attacked  them  none  the  less  vigorously, 
and  would  come  to  no  other  terms  whatever.  At  first  James 
argued  a  great  deal,  and  tried  to  uphold  the  Confederates 
against  the  Federals,  to  prove  that  the  Secessionists  were  in 
the  right,  and  that  if  the  people  were  united  voluntarily  they 
might  separate  in  the  same  manner.  But  the  young  girl 
would  not  yield  on  this  point;  she  demonstrated  that  the 
question  of  slavery  was  predominant  in  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  North  and  South  Americans,  that  it  was  far  more 
a  war  in  the  cause  of  morals  and  humanity  than  politics,  and 
James  could  make  no  answer.  Besides,  during  these  dis- 
cussions, which  he  listened  to  attentively,  it  is  difficult  to 
say  whether  he  was  more  touched  by  Miss  Halliburtt's  argu- 
ments, or  the  charming  manner  in  which  she  spoke;  but  at 
last  he  was  obliged  to  acknowledge,  among  other  things, 
that  slavery  was  the  principal  feature  in  the  war,  that  it 
must  be  put  an  end  to  decisively,  and  the  last  horrors  of 
barbarous  times  abolished. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  political  opinions  of  the  cap- 
tain did  not  trouble  him  much.  He  would  have  sacrificed 
his  most  serious  opinion  before  such  enticing  arguments 
and  under  like  circumstances;  he  made  a  good  bargain  of 
his  ideas  for  the  same  reason,  but  at  last  he  was  attacked  in; 
his  tenderest  point:  this  was  the  question  of  the  traffic  in 
which  the  Dolphin  was  being  employed,  and,  consequently, 
the  ammunition  which  was  being  carried  to  the  Confeder- 
ates. 


128  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"  Yes,  Mr.  James,"  said  Miss  Halliburtt,  "  gratitude  does 
not  hinder  me  from  speaking  with  perfect  frankness;  on 
the  contrary,  you  are  a  brave  seaman,  a  clever  merchant, 
the  house  of  Playfair  is  noted  for  its  respectability;  but  in 
this  case  it  fails  in  its  principles,  and  follows  a  trade  un- 
worthy of  it." 

"  How!  "  cried  James,  "  the  house  of  Playfair  ought  not 
to  attempt  such  a  commercial  enterprise?  " 

"  No !  it  is  taking  ammunition  to  the  unhappy  creatures 
in  revolt  against  the  government  of  their  country,  and  it  is 
lending  arms  to  a  bad  cause." 

"  Upon  my  honor,  Miss  Jenny,  I  will  not  discuss  the  right 
of  the  Confederates  with  you;  I  will  only  answer  you  with 
one  word :  I  am  a  merchant,  and  as  such  I  only  occupy  my- 
self with  the  interests  of  my  house;  I  look  for  gain  where- 
ever  there  is  an  opportunity  of  getting  it." 

"  That  is  precisely  what  is  to  be  blamed,  Mr.  James,"  re- 
plied the  girl;  "profit  does  not  excuse  it;  thus,  when  you 
supply  arms  to  the  Southerners,  with  which  to  continue  a 
criminal  war,  you  are  quite  as  guilty  as  when  you  sell  opium 
to  the  Chinese,  which  stupefies  them." 

"  Oh !  for  once,  Miss  Jenny,  this  is  too  much,  and  I  can- 
not admit " 

"  No;  what  I  say  is  just,  and  when  you  consider  it,  when 
you  understand  the  part  you  are  playing,  when  you  think 
of  the  results  for  which  you  are  responsible,  you  will  yield 
to  me  in  this  point,  as  in  so  many  others." 

James  Playfair  was  dumbfounded  at  these  words;  he 
left  the  young  girl,  a  prey  to  angry  thoughts,  for  he  felt  his 
powerlessness  to  answer;  then  he  sulked  like  a  child  for  half 
an  hour,  and  an  hour  later  he  returned  to  the  singular  young 
girl,  who  could  overwhelm  him  with  convincing  arguments, 
with  quite  a  pleasant  smile. 

In  short,  however,  it  may  have  come  about,  and  although 
he  would  not  acknowledge  it  to  himself,  Captain  James 
Playfair  belonged  to  himself  no  longer,  he  was  no  longer 
commander-in-chief  on  board  his  own  ship. 

Thus,  to  Crockston's  great  joy,  Mr.  Halliburtt's  affairs 
appeared  to  be  in  a  good  way;  the  captam  seemed  to  have 
decided  to  undertake  everything  in  his  power  to  deliver  Miss 
Jenny's  father,  and  for  this  he  would  be  obliged  to  com- 
promise the  Dolphin,  his  cargo,  his  crew,  and  incur  the  dis- 
pleasure of  his  worthy  Uncle  Vincent. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SULLIVAN    ISLAND    CHANNEL 

Two  days  after  the  meeting  with  the  Iroquois,  the  Dol- 
phin found  herself  abreast  of  the  Bermudas,  where  she  was 
assailed  by  a  violent  squall.  These  isles  are  frequently 
visited  by  hurricanes,  and  are  celebrated  for  shipwrecks. 
It  is  here  that  Shakspeare  has  placed  the  exciting  scene  of  his 
drama,  "  The  Tempest,"  in  which  Ariel  and  Caliban  dispute 
for  the  empire  of  the  floods. 

The  squall  was  frightful;  James  Playfair  thought  once 
of  running  for  one  of  the  Bermudas,  where  the  English  had 
a  military  post :  it  would  have  been  a  sad  waste  of  time,  and 
therefore  especially  to  be  regretted;  happily  the  Dolphin  be- 
haved herself  wonderfully  well  in  the  storm,  and  after  fly- 
ing a  whole  day  before  the  tempest,  she  was  able  to  resume 
her  course  towards  the  American  coast. 

But  if  James  Playfair  had  been  pleased  with  his  ship,  he 
had  not  been  less  delighted  with  the  young  girl's  bravery; 
Miss  Halliburtt  had  passed  the  worst  hours  of  the  storm 
at  his  side,  and  James  Playfair  knew  that  a  profound,  im- 
perious, irresistible  love  had  taken  possession  of  his  whole 
being. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  this  brave  girl  is  mistress  on  board ;  she 
turns  me  like  the  sea  a  ship  in  distress — I  feel  that  I  am 
foundering !  What  will  Uncle  Vincent  say  ?  Ah !  poor 
nature,  I  am  sure  that  if  Jenny  asked  me  to  throw  all  this 
cursed  cargo  into  the  sea,  I  should  do  it  without  hesitating, 
for  love  of  her." 

Happily  for  the  firm  of  Playfair  and  Co.,  Miss  Halliburtt 
did  not  demand  this  sacrifice;  nevertheless,  the  poor  captain 
had  been  taken  captive,  and  Crockston,  who  read  his  heart 
like  an  open  book,  rubbed  his  hands  gleefully. 

"  We  will  hold  him  fast!  "  he  muttered  to  himself,  "  and 
before  a  week  has  passed  my  master  will  be  quietly  installed 
in  one  of  the  best  cabins  of  the  Dolphin." 

As  for  Miss  Jenny,  did  she  perceive  the  feeings  which  she 
inspired.?  did  she  allow  herself  to  share  them?  No  one 
could  say,  and  James  Playfair  least  of  all;  the  young  girl 
kept  a  perfect  reserve,  and  her  secret  remained  deeply 
buried  in  her  heart. 

But  whilst  love  was  making  such  progress  in  the  heart 
of  the  young  captain,  the  Dolphin  sped  with  no  less  rapidity 

129 


I30  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

towards  Charleston.  On  the  13th  of  January,  the  watch 
signaled  land  ten  miles  to  the  west.  It  was  a  low-lying 
coast,  and  almost  blended  with  the  line  of  the  sea  in  the  dis- 
tance. Crockston  was  examining  the  horizon  attentively, 
and  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  cried,  "  Charleston 
lighthouse !  " 

Now  that  the  bearings  of  the  Dolphin  were  set,  James 
Playfair  had  but  one  thing  to  do,  to  decide  by  which  channel 
he  would  run  into  Charleston  Bay. 

"  If  we  meet  with  no  obstacles,"  said  he,  "  before  three 
o'clock  we  shall  be  in  safety  in  the  docks  of  the  port." 

The  town  of  Charleston  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  an 
estuary  seven  miles  long  and  two  broad,  called  Charleston 
Harbor,  the  entrance  to  which  is  rather  difficult.  It  is  en- 
closed between  Morris  Island  on  the  south,  and  Sullivan 
Island  on  the  north.  At  the  time  when  the  Dolphin  at- 
tempted to  force  the  blockade  Morris  Island  already  be- 
longed to  the  Federal  troops,  and  General  Gillmore  had 
caused  batteries  to  be  erected  overlooking  the  harbor.  Sulli- 
van Island,  on  the  contrary,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Confed- 
erates, who  were  also  in  possession  of  Moultrie  Fort,  situated 
at  the  extremity  of  the  island;  therefore  it  would  be  ad- 
vantageous to  the  Dolphin  to  go  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
northern  shores  to  avoid  the  firing  from  the  forts  on  Morris 
Island. 

Five  channels  led  into  the  estuary,  Sullivan  Island  Channel, 
the  Northern  Channel,  the  Overall  Channel,  the  Principal 
Channel,  and  lastly,  the  Lawford  Channel;  but  it  was  use- 
less for  strangers,  unless  they  had  skillful  pilots  on  board, 
or  ships  drawing  less  than  seven  feet  of  water,  to  attempt 
this  last;  as  for  Northern  and  Overall  Channels,  they  were 
in  range  of  the  Federalist  batteries,  so  that  it  was  no  good 
thinking  of  them.  If  James  Playfair  could  have  had  his 
choice,  he  would  have  taken  his  steamer  through  the  Princi- 
pal Channel,  which  was  the  best,  and  the  bearings  of  which 
were  easy  to  follow ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  yield  to  circum- 
stances, and  to  decide  according  to  the  event.  Besides,  the 
captain  of  the  Dolphin  knew  perfectly  all  the  secrets  of  this 
bay,  its  dangers,  the  depths  of  its  water  at  low  tide,  and  its 
currents,  so  that  he  was  able  to  steer  his  ship  with  the  great- 
est safety  as  soon  as  he  entered  one  of  these  narrow  straits. 
The  great  question  was  to  get  there. 


SULLIVAN    ISLAND    CHANNEL  131 

Now  this  work  demanded  an  experienced  seaman,  and 
one  who  knew  exactly  the  quahties  of  the  Dolphin. 

In  fact  two  Federal  frigates  were  now  cruising  in  the 
Charleston  waters.  Mr.  Mathew  soon  drew  James  Play- 
fair's  attention  to  them.  "  They  are  preparing  to  ask  us 
what  we  want  on  these  shores,"  said  he. 

"  Ah,  well !  we  won't  answer  them,"  replied  the  captain, 
"  and  they  will  not  get  their  curiosity  satisfied." 

In  the  meanwhile  the  cruisers  were  coming  on  full  steam 
towards  the  Dolphin,  who  continued  her  course,  taking  care 
to  keep  out  of  range  of  their  guns.  But  in  order  to  gain 
time  James  Playfair  made  for  the  southwest,  wishing  to  put 
the  enemies'  ships  off  their  guard;  the  latter  must  have 
thought  that  the  Dolphin  intended  to  make  for  Morris  Island 
Channel.  Now  there  they  had  batteries  and  guns,  a  single 
shot  from  which  would  have  been  enough  to  sink  the  English 
ship;  so  the  Federals  allowed  the  Dolphin  to  run  towards 
the  southwest,  contenting  themselves  by  observing  her  with- 
out following  closely. 

Thus  for  an  hour  the  respective  situations  of  the  ships  did 
not  change,  for  James  Playfair,  wishing  to  deceive  the 
cruisers  as  to  the  course  of  the  Dolphin,  had  caused  the  fires 
to  be  moderated,  so  that  the  speed  was  decreased.  How- 
ever, from  the  thick  volumes  of  smoke  which  escaped  from 
the  chimneys,  it  might  have  been  thought  that  he  was  trying 
to  get  his  maximum  pressure,  and,  consequently,  his  maxi- 
mum of  rapidity. 

"  They  will  be  slightly  astonished  presently,"  said  James 
Playfair,  "  when  they  see  us  slip  through  their  fingers!  " 

In  fact,  when  the  captain  saw  that  he  was  near  enough  to 
Morris  Island,  and  before  a  line  of  guns,  the  range  of  which 
he  did  not  know,  he  turned  his  rudder  quickly,  and  the  ship 
resumed  her  northerly  course,  leaving  the  cruisers  two  miles 
to  windward  of  her;  the  latter  seeing  this  maneuver  un- 
derstood the  steamer's  object,  and  began  to  pursue  her  in 
earnest,  but  it  was  too  late.  The  Dolphin  doubled  her  speed 
under  the  action  of  the  screws,  and  distanced  them  rapidly. 
Going  nearer  to  the  coast,  a  few  shell  were  sent  after  her  as 
an  acquittal  of  conscience,  but  the  Federals  were  outdone, 
for  their  projectiles  did  not  reach  half  way.  At  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  steamer  ranging  near  Sullivan 
Island,  thanks  to  her  small  draft,  entered  the  narrow  strait 


132  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

full  steam;  there  she  was  in  safety,  for  no  Federalist  cruiser 
dared  follow  her  in  this  channel,  the  depth  of  which,  on  an 
average,  was  only  eleven  feet  at  low  tide 

"How?"  cried  Crockston,  "is  that  all  the  difficulty?" 

"  Oh !  oh !  Master  Crockston,"  said  Captain  James  Play- 
fair,  "  the  difficulty  is  not  in  entering,  but  in  getting  out 
again." 

"  Nonsense ! "  replied  the  American,  "  that  does  not 
make  me  at  all  uneasy;  with  a  boat  like  the  Dolphin  and  a 
captain  like  Mr.  James  Playfair,  one  can  go  where  one  likes, 
and  come  out  in  the  same  manner." 

Nevertheless,  James  Playfair,  with  telescope  in  his  hand, 
was  attentively  examining  the  route  which  was  to  be  fol- 
lowed. He  had  before  him  excellent  coasting  guides,  with 
which  he  could  go  ahead  without  any  difficulty  or  hesita- 
tion. 

Once  his  ship  safely  in  the  narrow  channel  which  runs  the 
length  of  Sullivan  Island,  James  steered  bearing  towards  the 
middle  of  Fort  Moultrie  as  far  as  the  Pickney  Castle,  sit- 
uated on  the  isolated  island  of  Shute's  Folly;  on  the  other 
side  rose  Fort  Johnson,  a  little  way  to  the  north  of  Fort 
Sumter. 

At  this  moment  the  steamer  was  saluted  by  some  shot 
which  did  not  reach  her,  from  the  batteries  on  Morris  Island. 
She  continued  her  course  without  any  deviation,  passed  be- 
fore Moultrieville,  situated  at  the  extremity  of  Sullivan 
Island,  and  entered  the  bay. 

Soon  Fort  Sumter  on  the  left  protected  her  from  the 
batteries  of  the  Federalists. 

This  fort,  so  celebrated  in  the  civil  war,  is  situated  three 
miles  and  a  half  from  Charleston,  and  about  a  mile  from 
each  side  of  the  bay;  it  is  nearly  pentagonal  in  form,  built 
on  an  artifical  island  of  Massachusetts  granite,  it  took  ten 
years  to  construct  and  cost  more  than  900,000  dollars. 

It  was  from  this  fort,  on  the  13th  of  April,  1861,  that 
Anderson  and  the  Federal  troops  were  driven,  and  it  was 
against  it  that  the  first  shot  of  the  Confederates  was  fired. 
It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  quantity  of  iron  and  lead 
which  the  Federals  showered  down  upon  it.  It  resisted  for 
almost  three  years,  but  a  few  months  after  the  passage  of 
the  Dolphin,  it  fell  beneath  General  Gillmore's  three  hun- 
dred-pounders on  Morris  Island.     But  at  this  time  it  was  in 


SULLIVAN   ISLAND   CHANNEL  133 

all  its  strength,  and  the  Confederate  flag  floated  proudly 
above  it. 

Once  past  the  fort,  the  town  of  Charleston  appeared  lying 
between  Ashley  and  Cooper  rivers.  James  Play  fair  threaded 
his  way  through  the  buoys  which  mark  the  entrance  of  the 
channel,  leaving  behind  the  Charleston  lighthouse.  He  had 
hoisted  the  English  flag,  and  made  his  way  with  wonderful 
rapidity  through  the  narrow  channels.  When  he  had  passed 
the  Quarantine  buoy,  he  advanced  freely  into  the  center  of 
the  bay.  Miss  Halliburtt  was  standing  on  the  poop,  looking 
at  the  town  where  her  father  was  kept  prisoner,  and  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears. 

At  last  the  steamer's  speed  was  moderated  by  the  cap- 
tain's orders;  the  Dolphin  ranged  along  the  end  of  the  south 
and  east  batteries,  and  was  soon  moored  at  the  quay  of  the 
North  Commercial  Wharf. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  SOUTHERN  GENERAL 

The  Dolphin  on  arriving  at  the  Charleston  quay,  had 
been  saluted  by  the  cheers  of  a  large  crowd.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  this  town,  strictly  blockaded  by  sea,  were  not  ac- 
customed to  visits  from  European  ships.  They  asked  each 
other,  not  without  astonishment,  what  this  great  steamer, 
proudly  bearing  the  English  flag,  had  come  to  do  in  their 
vv^aters;  but  when  they  learned  the  object  of  her  voyage, 
and  why  she  had  just  forced  the  passage  Sullivan,  when 
the  report  spread  that  she  carried  a  large  cargo  of  smug- 
gled ammunition,  the  cheers  and  joyful  cries  were  re- 
doubled. 

James  Playfair,  without  losing  a  moment,  entered  into 
negotiation  with  General  Beauregard,  the  military  com- 
mander of  the  town  The  latter  eagerly  received  the  young 
captain  of  the  Dolphin,  who  had  arrived  in  time  to  pro- 
vide the  soldiers  with  the  clothes  and  ammunition  they  were 
so  much  in  want  of.  It  was  agreed  that  the  unloading  of 
the  ship  should  take  place  immediately,  and  numerous  hands 
came  to  help  the  English  sailors. 

Before  quitting  his  ship  James  Playfair  had  received  from 
-Miss  Halliburtt  the  most  pressing  injunctions  with  regard 


Ij^4  THE   BLOCKADE    RUNNERS 

to  her  father,  and  the  captain  had  placed  himself  entirely; 
at  the  young  girl's  service. 

"  Miss  Jenny,"  he  had  said,  "  you  may  rely  on  me;  I  will 
do  the  utmost  in  my  power  to  save  your  father,  but  I  hope 
this  business  will  not  present  many  difficulties;  I  shall  go 
and  see  General  Beauregard  to-day,  and  without  asking  him 
at  once  for  Mr.  Halliburtt's  liberty,  I  shall  learn  in  what 
situation  he  is,  whether  he  is  on  bail,  or  a  prisoner." 

"My  poor  father!"  replied  Jenny,  sighing;  "he  little 
thinks  his  daughter  is  so  near  him.  Oh  that  I  could  fly  into 
his  arms ! " 

"A  little  patience,  Miss  Jenny;  you  will  soon  embrace 
your  father.  Rely  upon  my  acting  with  the  most  entire 
devotion,  but  also  with  prudence  and  consideration." 

This  is  why  James  Playfair,  after  having  delivered  the 
cargo  of  the  Dolphin  up  to  the  General,  and  bargained  for 
an  immense  stock  of  cotton,  faithful  to  his  promise,  turned 
the  conversation  to  the  events  of  the  day. 

"  So,"  said  he,  "  you  believe  in  the  triumph  of  the  slave- 
holders?" 

"  I  do  not  for  a  moment  doubt  of  our  final  success,  and 
as  regards  Charleston,  Lee's  army  will  soon  relieve  it:  be- 
sides, what  do  you  expect  from  the  Abolitionists?  admit- 
ting that  which  will  never  be,  that  the  commercial  towns  of 
Virginia,  the  two  Carolinas,  Georgia,  Alabama,  fall  under 
their  power,  what  then?  Will  they  be  masters  of  a  country 
they  can  never  occupy?  No,  certainly  not;  and  for  my 
part  if  they  are  ever  victorious  they  shall  pay  dearly  for  it." 

"And  you  are  quite  sure  of  your  soldiers?"  asked  the 
captain;  "you  are  not  afraid  that  Charleston  will  grow 
weary  of  a  siege  which  is  ruining  her?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not  fear  treason ;  besides,  the  traitors  would 
be  punished  remorselessly,  and  I  would  destroy  the  town 
itself  by  sword  or  fire  if  I  discovered  the  least  Unionist 
movement.  Jefferson  Davis  confided  Charleston  to  me, 
and  you  may  be  sure  that  Charleston  is  in  safe  hands." 

"Have  you  any  Federal  prisoners?"  asked  James  Play- 
fair,  coming  to  the  interesting  object  of  the  conversation. 

"  Yes,  captain,"  replied  the  General,  "  it  was  at  Charles- 
ton that  the  first  shot  of  separation  was  fired.  The  Aboli- 
tionists who  were  here  attempted  to  resist,  and  after  being 
defeated  they  have  been  kept  as  prisoners  of  war." 


A    SOUTHERN    GENERAL  135 

"  And  have  you  many  ?  " 

"  About  a  hundred." 

"Free  in  the  town?" 

"  They  were  until  I  discovered  a  plot  formed  by  them ; 
their  chief  succeeded  in  establishing  a  communication  with 
the  besiegers,  who  were  thus  informed  of  the  situation  of 
affairs  in  the  town.  I  was  then  obliged  to  lock  up  these 
dangerous  guests,  and  several  of  them  will  only  leave  their 
prisons  to  ascend  the  slope  of  the  citadel,  where  ten  Con- 
iederate  balls  will  reward  them  for  their  Federalism." 

"  What !  to  be  shot !  "  cried  the  young  man. 

"  Yes,  and  their  chief  first  of  all.  He  is  a  very  dangerous 
man  to  have  in  a  besieged  town.  I  have  sent  his  letters  to 
the  president  at  Richmond,  and  before  a  week  is  passed  his 
sentence  will  be  irrevocably  passed." 

"  Who  is  this  man  you  speak  of,"  asked  James  Playfair. 

"A  journalist  from  Boston,  a  violent  Abolitionist  with 
the  confounded  spirit  of  Lincoln." 

"And  his  name?  " 

"  Jonathan  Halliburtt." 

"  Poor  wretch !  "  exclaimed  James,  suppressing  his  emo- 
tion ;  "  whatever  he  may  have  done  one  cannot  help  pitying 
him.     And  you  think  that  he  will  be  shot?  " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  replied  Beauregard.  "  What  can  you 
expect?     War  is  war,  one  must  defend  oneself." 

"  Well,  it  is  nothing  to  me,"  said  the  captain ;  "  I  shall 
be  far  enough  away  when  this  execution  takes  place." 

"What!  you  are  thinking  of  going  away  already?  " 

"  Yes,  General,  business  must  be  attended  to ;  as  soon  as 
my  cargo  of  cotton  is  on  board  I  shall  be  out  to  sea  again. 
I  was  fortunate  enough  to  enter  the  bay,  but  the  difficulty 
is  in  getting  out  again.  The  Dolphin  is  a  good  ship;  she 
can  beat  any  of  the  Federal  ships  for  speed,  but  she  does 
not  pretend  to  distance  cannon  balls,  and  a  shell  in  her  hull 
or  engine  would  seriously  affect  my  enterprise." 

"  As  you  please,  captain,"  replied  Beauregard ;  "  I  have 
no  advice  to  give  you  under  such  circumstances.  You  are 
doing  your  business,  and  you  are  right.  I  should  act  in  the 
same  manner  were  I  in  your  place ;  besides  a  stay  at  Charles- 
ton is  not  very  pleasant,  and  a  harbor  where  shells  are  fall- 
ing three  days  out  of  four  is  not  a  safe  shelter  for  your 
ship;  so  you  will  set  sail  when  you  please;  but  can  you  tell 


13(5  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

me  what  is  the  number  and  the  force  of  the  Federal  ships 
cruising  before  Charleston?" 

James  Playfair  did  his  best  to  answer  the  General,  and 
took  leave  of  him  on  the  best  of  terms;  then  he  returned 
to  the  Dolphin  very  thoughtful  and  very  depressed  from 
what  he  had  just  heard. 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  Miss  Jenny?  ought  I  to  tell  her  of 
Mr.  Halliburtt's  terrible  situation?  or  would  it  be  better  to 
keep  her  in  ignorance  of  the  trial  which  is  awaiting  her? 
Poor  child !  " 

He  had  not  gone  fifty  steps  from  the  governor's  house 
when  he  ran  against  Crockston :  the  worthy  American  had 
been  watching  for  him  since  his  departure. 

"Well,  captain?" 

James  Playfair  looked  steadily  at  Crockston,  and  the 
latter  soon  understood  he  had  no  favorable  news  to  give. 

"  Have  you  seen  Beauregard?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  James  Playfair. 

"  And  have  you  spoken  to  him  about  Mr.  Halliburtt?  " 

"  No !  it  was  he  who  spoke  to  me  about  him." 

"Well,  captain?" 

"  Well  1  I  may  as  well  tell  you  everything,  Crockston, 

said  the  captain. 

"  Everything,  captain." 

"  General  Beauregard  has  told  me  that  your  master  will 
be  shot  within  a  week." 

At  this  news  anyone  else  but  Crockston  would  have 
grown  furious  or  given  way  to  bursts  of  grief,  but  the 
American,  who  feared  nothing,  only  said,  with  almost  a 
smile  on  his  lips,  "  Pooh!  what  does  it  matter?  " 

"  How !  what  does  it  matter.? "  cried  James  Playfair;  *"  I 
tell  you  that  Mr.  Halliburtt  will  be  shot  within  a  week,  and 
you  answer,  what  does  it  matter?" 

"  And  I  mean  it — if  in  six  days  he  is  on  the  Dolphin, 
and  in  seven  days  the  Dolphin  is  on  the  open  sea." 

"Right!"  exclaimed  the  captain,  pressing  Crockston's 
hand.  "  I  understand,  my  good  fellow,  you  have  got  some 
pluck;  and  for  myself,  in  spite  of  Uncle  Vincent,  I  would 
throw  myself  overboard  for  Miss  Jenny." 

"  No  one  need  be  thrown  overboard,"  replied  the  Amer- 
ican, "  only  the  fish  would  gain  by  that :  the  most  important 
business  now  is  to  deliver  Mr.  Halliburtt." 


t* 


A   SOUTHERN    GENERAL  137 

"  But  you  must  know  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  do  so." 

"  Pooh !  "  exclaimed  Crockston. 

"  We  must  communicate  with  a  prisoner  strictly- 
guarded." 

"  Certainly." 

"  And  bring  about  an  almost  miraculous  escape." 

"  Nonsense/'  said  Crockston ;  "  a  prisoner  thinks  more  of 
escape  than  his  jailer  thinks  of  keeping  him;  that's  why, 
thanks  to  our  help,  Mr.  Halliburtt  will  be  saved." 

"  You  are  right,  Crockston." 

"Always  right." 

"  But  now  what  will  you  do  ?  there  must  be  some  plan : 
and  there  are  precautions  to  be  taken." 

"  I  will  think  about  it." 

"  But  when  Miss  Jenny  learns  that  her  father  is  con- 
demned to  death,  and  that  the  order  for  his  execution  may 
come  any  day " 

"  She  will  know  nothing  about  it,  that  is  all." 

"  Yes,  it  will  be  better  for  her  to  tell  her  nothing." 

"Where  is  Mr.  Halliburtt  imprisoned?"  asked  Crock- 
ston. 

"  In  the  citadel,"  replied  James  Playfair. 

"  Just  so !     On  board  now !  " 

**  On  board,  Crockston !  " 


CHAPTER   Vni 

THE  ESCAPE 

Miss  Jenny,  sitting  on  the  poop  of  the  Dolphin,  wasi 
anxiously  waiting  the  captain's  return ;  when  the  latter  went 
up  to  her  she  could  not  utter  a  word,  but  her  eyes  ques- 
tioned James  Playfair  more  eagerly  than  her  lips  could 
have  done.  The  latter,  with  Crockston's  help,  informed 
the  young  girl  of  the  facts  relating  to  her  father's  impris- 
onment. He  said  that  he  had  carefully  broached  the  sub- 
ject of  the  prisoners  of  war  to  Beauregard,  but  as  the 
general  did  not  seem  disposed  at  all  in  their  favor,  he  had 
thought  it  better  to  say  no  more  about  it,  but  think  the 
matter  over. 

"  Since  Mr.  Halliburtt  is  not  free  in  the  town,  his  escape 
will  be  more  difficult ;  but  I  will  finish  my  task,  and  I  prom- 


138  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

ise  you,  Miss  Jenny,  that  the  Dolphin  shall  not  leave  Charles- 
ton without  your  father." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  James;  thank  you  with  all  my  heart." 
James  Playfair  felt  a  thrill  of  joy  through  his  whole 
being.     He  approached  the  young  girl  with  moist  eyes  and 
quivering  lips;  perhaps  he  was  going  to  make  an  avowal 
of  the  sentiments  he  could  no  longer  repress,  when  Crock- 
ston  interfered.    "This  is  no  time  for  grieving,"  said  he; 
"  we  must  go  to  work,  and  consider  what  to  do." 
"  Have  you  any  plan,  Crockston?  "  asked  the  girl. 
"  I  always  have  a  plan,"  replied  the  American :  "  it  is 
my  peculiarity." 

"  But  a  good  one?  "  said  James  Playfair. 
"  Excellent !  and  all  the  ministers  in  Washington  could 
not  devise  a  better;  it  is  almost  as  good  as  if  Mr.  Halliburtt 
was  already  on  board." 

Crockston  spoke  with  such  perfect  assurance,  at  the  same 
time  with  such  simplicity,  that  it  must  have  been  the  most 
incredulous  person  who  could  doubt  his  words. 

"  We  are  listening,  Crockston,"  said  James  Playfair. 
"Good!    You,  captain,  will  go  to  General  Beauregard, 
and  ask  a  favor  of  him  which  he  will  not  refuse  you." 
"And  what  is  that?" 

"  You  will  tell  him  that  you  have  on  board  a  tiresome 
subject,  a  scamp  who  has  been  very  troublesome  during  the 
voyage,  and  excited  the  crew  to  revolt.  You  will  ask  of 
him  permission  to  shut  him  up  in  the  citadel;  at  the  same 
time  on  the  condition  that  he  shall  return  to  the  ship  on  her 
departure,  in  order  to  be  taken  back  to  England,  to  be  de- 
livered over  to  the  justice  of  his  country." 

"  Good !  "  said  James  Playfair,  half  smiling,  "  I  will  do 
all  that,  and  Beauregard  will  grant  my  request  very  will- 
ingly." 

"  I  am  perfectly  sure  of  it,"  replied  the  American. 

"  But,"  resumed  Playfair,  "  one  thing  is  v\^anting." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  The  scamp." 

"  He  is  before  you,  captain." 

"  What,  the  rebellious  subject " 

"  Is  myself;  don't  trouble  yourself  about  that." 
"Oh!  you  brave,  generous  heart,"  cried  Jenny,  pressing 
his  rough  hands  between  her  small  white  palms. 


THE   ESCAPE  139 

"Go,  Crockston,"  said  James  Play  fair;  "I  understand 
you,  my  friend;  and  I  only  regret  one  thing,  that  is,  that 
I  cannot  take  your  place." 

"Everyone  his  part,"  replied  Crockston;  "if  you  put 
yourself  in  my  place  you  would  be  much  embarrassed,  which 
I  shall  not  be;  you  will  have  enough  to  do  later  on  to  get 
out  of  the  harbor  under  the  fire  of  the  Feds  and  Rebs, 
which,  for  my  part,  I  should  manage  very  badly." 

"  Well,  Crockston,  go  on." 

"  Once  in  the  citadel — I  know  it — I  shall  see  what  to  do, 
and  rest  assured  I  shall  do  my  best ;  in  the  meanwhile,  you 
will  be  getting  your  cargo  on  board." 

"  Oh !  business  is  now  a  very  unimportant  detail,"  said 
the  captain. 

"  Not  at  all !  what  would  your  Uncle  Vincent  say  to  that? 
We  must  join  sentiment  with  work;  it  will  prevent  sus- 
picion ;  but  do  it  quickly.     Can  you  be  ready  in  six  days  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Let  the  Dolphin  be  ready  to  start  on  the  22nd." 

"  She  shall  be  ready." 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  22nd  of  Januar}^  you  under- 
stand, send  a  shore  boat  with  your  best  men  to  White  Point, 
at  the  end  of  the  town;  wait  there  till  nine  o'clock,  and  you 
will  see  Mr.  Halliburtt  and  your  servant." 

"  But  how  will  you  manage  to  effect  Mr.  Halliburtt's 
deliverance,  and  also  escape  yourself?" 

"  That's  my  look-out." 

"  Dear  Crockston,  you  are  going  to  risk  your  life  then 
to  save  my  father !  " 

"  Don't  be  uneasy.  Miss  Jenny,  I  shall  risk  absolutely 
nothing,  you  may  believe  me." 

"  Well,"  asked  James  Play  fair,  "  when  must  I  have  you 
locked  up?" 

"  To-day — you  understand — I  demoralize  your  crew ; 
there  is  no  time  to  be  lost." 

"Would  you  like  any  money?  it  may  be  of  use  to  you 
in  the  citadel." 

"  Money  to  buy  the  jailer!  Oh,  no!  it  would  be  a  poor 
bargain;  when  one  goes  there  the  jailer  keeps  the  money 
and  the  prisoner!  No!  I  have  surer  means  than  that;  how- 
ever, a  few  dollars  may  be  useful;  one  must  be  able  to 
drink,  if  needs  be." 


I40  THE    BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

"  And  intoxicate  the  jailer." 

"  No,  an  intoxicated  jailer  would  spoil  everything.     No, 
I  tell  you  I  have  an  idea,  let  me  work  it  out." 

"  Here,  my  good  fellow,  are  ten  dollars."^ 

"  It  is  too  much,  but  I  will  return  what  is  over." 

"  Well,  then,  are  you  ready?  " 

"  Quite  ready  to  be  a  downright  rogue." 

"  Let  us  go  to  work  then." 

"  Crockston,"  said  the  young  girl,  in  a  faltering  voice, 
"  you  are  the  best  man  on  earth." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  the  American,  laughing  good-humor- 
edly.     "  By-the-bye,  captain,  an  important  item." 

"What  is  that?" 

"If  the  General  proposes  to  hang  your  rebel — you  know 
that  military  men  like  sharp  work " 

"Well,  Crockston?" 

"  Well,  you  will  say  that  you  must  thinlc  about  it." 

"  I  promise  you  I  will." 

The  same  day  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  crew,  who 
were  not  in  the  secret,  Crockston  with  his  feet  and  hands 
in  irons  was  taken  on  shore  by  a  dozen  sailors,  and  half 
an  hour  after,  by  Captain  James  Play  fair's  request,  he  was 
led  through  the  streets  of  the  town,  and  in  spite  of  his  re- 
sistance was  imprisoned  in  the  citadel. 

During  this  and  the  following  days  the  unloading  of 
the  Dolphin  was  rapidly  accomplished;  the  steam  cranes 
lifted  out  the  European  cargo  to  make  room  for  the  native 
goods.  The  people  of  Charleston,  who  were  present  at 
this  interesting  work,  helped  the  sailors,  whom  they  held 
in  great  respect,  but  the  captain  did  not  leave  the  brave 
fellows  much  time  for  receiving  compliments;  he  was  con- 
stantly behind  them,  and  urged  them  on  with  a  feverish 
activity,  the  reason  of  which  even  the  sailors  could  not  sus- 
pect. 

Three  days  later,  on  the  i8th  of  January,  the  first  bales 
of  cotton  began  to  be  packed  in  the  hold:  although  James 
Playfair  troubled  himself  no  more  about  it,  the  firm  of 
Playfair  and  Company  were  making  an  excellent  bargain, 
having  obtained  the  cotton  which  encumbered  the  Charles- 
ton wharves  at  very  far  less  than  its  value. 

In  the  meantime  no  news  had  been  heard  of  Crockston. 
Jenny  without  saying  anything  about  it  was  a  prey  to  in- 


THE   ESCAPE  141 

cessant  fears,  her  pale  face  spoke  to  her,  and  James  Play- 
fair  endeavored  his  utmost  to  ease  her  mind. 

"  I  have  all  confidence  in  Crockston,"  said  he,  "  he  is  a 
devoted  servant,  as  you  must  know  better  than  I  do,  Miss 
Jenny.  You  must  make  yourself  quite  at  ease;  believe  me, 
in  three  days  you  will  be  folded  in  your  father's  arms." 

"  Ah !  Mr.  James,"  cried  the  young  girl,  "  how  can  I  ever 
repay  you  for  such  devotion?  How  shall  we  ever  be  able 
to  thank  you?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  we  are  in  English  seas,"  replied 
the  young  captain. 

Jenny  raised  her  tearful  face  to  him  for  a  moment,  then 
her  eyelids  drooped,  and  she  went  back  to  her  cabin. 

James  Playfair  hoped  that  the  young  girl  would  know 
nothing  of  her  father's  terrible  situation  until  he  was  in 
safety,  but  she  was  apprized  of  the  truth  by  the  involuntary 
indiscretion  of  a  sailor. 

The  reply  from  the  Richmond  cabinet  had  arrived  by  a 
courier  who  had  been  able  to  pass  the  line  of  outposts;  the 
reply  contained  Jonathan  Halliburtt's  death  warrant.  The 
news  of  the  approaching  execution  was  not  long  in  spread- 
ing through  the  town,  and  it  was  brought  on  board  by  one 
of  the  sailors  of  the  Dolphin;  the  man  told  the  captain, 
without  thinking  that  Miss  Halliburtt  was  within  hearing; 
the  young  girl  uttered  a  piercing  cry,  and  fell  unconscious 
on  the  deck.  James  Playfair  carried  her  to  her  cabin,  but 
the  most  assiduous  care  was  necessary  to  restore  her  to  life. 

When  she  opened  her  eyes  again,  she  saw  the  young  cap- 
tain, who,  with  a  finger  on  his  lips,  enjoined  absolute  si- 
lence. With  difficulty  she  repressed  the  outburst  of  her 
grief,  and  James  Playfair,  leaning  towards  her,  said  gently, 
"  Jenny,  in  two  hours  your  father  will  be  in  safety  near 
you,  or  I  shall  have  perished  in  endeavoring  to  save  him!  " 

Then  he  left  the  cabin,  saying  to  himself,  "  And  now 
he  must  be  carried  off  at  any  price,  since  I  must  pay  for  his 
liberty  with  my  own  life  and  that  of  my  crew." 

The  hour  for  action  had  arrived,  the  loading  of  the  cot- 
ton cargo  had  been  finished  since  morning;  in  two  hours 
the  ship  would  be  ready  to  start.  James  Playfair  had  left 
the  North  Commercial  Wharf  and  gone  into  the  roadstead, 
so  that  he  was  ready  to  make  use  of  the  tide,  which  would 
be  high  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening- 


142  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

It  was  seven  o'clock  when  James  left  the  young  girl  and 
began  to  make  preparations  for  departure.  Until  the  pres- 
ent time  the  secret  had  been  strictly  kept  between  himself, 
Crockston,  and  Jenny;  but  now  he  thought  it  wise  to  in- 
form Mr.  Mathew  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  he  did  so 
immediately. 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Mathew,  without  making 
the  least  remark,  "and  nine  o'clock  is  the  time?  " 

"  Nine  o'clock,  and  have  the  fires  lit  immediately,  and' 
the  steam  got  up." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  captain." 

"The  Dolphin  may  remain  at  anchor;  we  will  cut  our 
moorings  and  sheer  off  without  losing  a  moment." 

"  Just  so." 

"  Have  a  lantern  placed  at  the  mainmast-head;  the  night 
is  dark,  and  will  be  foggy;  we  must  not  risk  losing  our 
way  in  returning;  you  had  better  have  the  bell  for  starting 
rung  at  nine  o'clock." 

"  Your  orders  shall  be  punctually  attended  to,  captain." 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Mathew,  have  a  shore-boat  manned 
with  six  of  our  best  men ;  I  am  going  to  set  out  directly  for 
*  White  Point.'  I  leave  Miss  Jenny  in  your  charge,  and 
may  God  protect  us !  " 

"  May  God  protect  us ! "  repeated  the  first  officer. 

Then  he  immediately  gave  the  necessary  orders  for  the 
fires  to  be  lighted,  and  the  shore-boat  provided  with  men. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  boat  was  ready,  and  James  Play  fair, 
after  bidding  Jenny  good-by,  stepped  into  it,  whilst  at  the 
same  time,  he  saw  volumes  of  black  smoke  issuing  from 
the  chimneys  of  the  ship,  and  losing  itself  in  the  fog. 

The  darkness  was  profound;  the  wind  had  fallen,  and  in 
the  perfect  silence  the  waters  seemed  to  slumber  in  the 
immense  harbor,  whilst  a  few  uncertain  lights  glimmered 
through  the  mist.  James  Playfair  had  taken  his  place  at 
the  rudder,  and  with  a  steady  hand  he  guided  his  boat 
towards  White  Point.  It  was  a  distance  of  about  two 
miles;  during  the  day  James  had  taken  his  bearings  per- 
fectly, so  that  he  was  able  to  make  direct  for  Charleston 
Point. 

Eight  o'clock  struck  from  the  church  of  St.  Philip  when 
the  shore-boat  ran  aground  at  White  Point.  There  was 
an  hour  to  wait  before  the  time  fixed  by  Crockston;  the 


THE    ESCAPE  143 

quay  was  deserted,  with  the  exception  of  the  sentinel  pacing 
to  and  fro  on  the  south  and  east  batteries.  James  Play  fair 
grew  impatient,  and  the  minutes  seemed  hours  to  him. 

At  half  past  eight  he  heard  the  sound  of  approaching 
steps;  he  left  his  men  with  their  oars  clear  and  ready  to 
start,  and  went  himself  to  sec  who  it  was;  but  he  had  not 
gone  ten  feet  when  he  met  a  band  of  coast  guards,  in  all 
about  twenty  men.  James  drew  his  revolver  from  his 
waist,  deciding  to  make  use  of  it,  if  needs  be;  but  what 
could  he  do  against  these  soldiers,  who  were  coming  on 
to  the  quay? 

The  leader  came  up  to  him,  and  seeing  the  boat,  asked, 
**  Whose  craft  is  that?" 

"  It  is  a  shore-boat  belonging  to  the  Dolphin/' 

"And  who  are  you?" 
Captain  James  Play  fair." 

I  thought  you  had  already  started,  and  were  now  in 
the  Charleston  channels." 

"  I  am  ready  to  start.  I  ought  even  now  to  be  on  my; 
way,  but- 


(( 


But "  persisted  the  coast  guard. 

'A-  bright  idea  shot  through  James's  mind,  and  he  an- 
swered, "  One  of  my  sailors  is  locked  up  in  the  citadel,  and 
to  tell  the  truth  I  had  almost  forgotten  him;  fortunately 
I  thought  of  him  in  time,  and  I  have  sent  my  men  to  bring 
him." 

"Ah!  that  troublesome  fellow;  you  wish  to  take  him 
back  to  England  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  He  might  as  well  be  hung  here  as  there,"  said  the  coast 
guard,  laughing  at  his  joke. 

"  So  I  think,"  said  James  Playfair,  "  but  it  is  better  to 
have  the  thing  done  in  the  regular  way." 

"  Not  much  chance  of  that,  captain,  when  you  have  to 
face  the  Morris  Island  batteries." 

Don't  be  alarmed.     I  got  in  and  I'll  get  out  again." 
Prosperous  voyage  to  you !  " 
Thank  you." 

The  men  went  off,  and  the  shore  was  left  silent. 

At  this  moment  nine  o'clock  struck ;  it  was  the  appointed 
moment.  James  felt  his  heart  beat  violently ;  a  whistle  was 
heard;  he  replied  to  it,  then  he  waited,  listening,  with  his 


it 

€t 


It 

it 

(t 


144  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

hand  up  to  enjoin  perfect  silence  on  his  men;  a  man  ap- 
peared enveloped  in  a  large  cloak,  and  looking  from  one 
side  to  another,  James  ran  up  to  him. 

"Mr.  Halliburtt?" 
I  am  he,"  replied  the  man  with  the  cloak. 
God  be  praised!  "  cried  James  Play  fair;  "  embark  with- 
out losing  a  minute.     Where  is  Crockston  ?  " 

Crockston ! "     exclaimed     Mr.     Halliburtt,     amazed. 

What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

The  man  who  has  saved  you  and  brought  you  here  was 
your  servant  Crockston." 

"  The  man  who  came  with  me  was  the  jailer  from  the 
citadel,"  replied  Mr.  Halliburtt. 

"  The  jailer !  "  cried  James  Playfair. 

Evidently  he  knew  nothing  about  it,  and  a  thousand 
fears  crowded  in  his  mind. 

"Quite  right,  the  jailer,"  cried  a  well-known  voice; 
"  the  jailer  is  sleeping  like  a  top  in  my  cell." 

"  Crockston!  you!  can  it  be  you?  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Halli- 
burtt. 

"  No  time  to  talk  now,  master ;  we  will  explain  every- 
thing to  you  afterwards;  it  is  a  question  of  Hfe  or  death. 
Get  in  quick !  " 

The  three  men  took  their  places  In  the  boat. 

"  Push  off!  "  cried  the  captain. 

Immediately  the  six  oars  dipped  into  the  water;  the  boat 
darted  through  the  waters  of  Charleston  Harbor. 


CHAPTER  IX 
"between  two  fires" 

The  boat,  pulled  by  six  robust  oarsmen,  flew  over  the 
water.  The  fog  was  growing  dense,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  James  Playfair  succeeded  In  keeping  to  the  line 
of  his  bearings  Crockston  sat  at  the  bows,  and  Mr.  Halli- 
burtt at  the  stern  next  the  captain.  The  prisoner,  only 
now  informed  of  the  presence  of  his  servant,  wished  to 
speak  to  him,  but  the  latter  enjoined  silence. 

However,  when  they  were  in  the  middle  of  the  harbor, 
Crockston  determined  to  speak,  knowing  what  thoughts 
were  uppermost  in  Mr,  Halliburtt's  mind. 

V.  VII  V«rne 


t( 


BETWEEN   TWO    FIRES"  145 


"  Yes,  my  dear  master,"  said  he,  "  the  jailer  is  in  my 
place  in  the  cell,  where  I  gave  him  two  smart  blows,  one  on 
the  head  and  the  other  on  the  stomach,  to  act  as  a  sleeping 
draught,  and  this  when  he  was  bringing  me  my  supper; 
there  is  gratitude  for  you.  I  took  his  clothes  and  his  keys, 
found  you,  and  let  you  out  of  the  citadel,  under  the  soldiers' 
noses.     That  is  all  I  have  done." 

"  But  my  daughter ?"  asked  Mr.  Halliburtt. 

**  Is  on  board  the  ship  which  is  to  take  you  to  England," 
answered  Crockston. 

"  My  daughter  there !  there ! "  cried  the  American, 
springing  from  his  seat. 

"  Silence !  "  replied  Crockston,  "  a  few  minutes,  and  we 
shall  be  saved." 

The  boat  flew  through  the  darkness,  but  James  Play  fair 
was  obliged  to  steer  rather  by  guess,  as  the  lanterns  of  the 
Dolphin  were  no  longer  visible  through  the  fog.  He  was 
undecided  what  direction  to  follow,  and  the  darkness  was 
so  great  that  the  rowers  could  not  even  see  to  the  end  of 
their  oars. 

"Well,  Mr.  James?"  said  Crockston. 

"  We  must  have  come  almost  far  enough,"  replied  the 
captain.     "You  don't  see  anything,  Crockston?" 

"  Nothing;  and  I  have  good  eyes,  but  we  shall  get  there 
all  right.     They  don't  suspect  anything  out  there." 

These  words  were  hardly  finished  when  the  flash  of  a  gun 
gleamed  through  the  darkness,  and  vanished  in  the  mist. 

"A  signal!"  cried  James  Playfair. 

"  Whew ! "  exclaimed  Crockston,  "  it  must  have  come 
from  the  citadel.     Let  us  wait." 

A  second,  then  a  third  shot  was  fired  in  the  direction  of 
the  first,  and  almost  the  same  signal  was  repeated  a  mile 
in  front  of  the  shore-boat. 

"That  is  from  Fort  Sumter,"  cried  Crockston,  "and  it 
is  the  signal  of  escape.  Urge  on  the  men;  everything  is 
discovered." 

"  Pull  for  your  lives,  my  men ! "  cried  James  Playfair, 
urging  on  the  sailors,  "  those  gun  shots  cleared  my  route. 
The  Dolphin  is  eight  hundred  yards  ahead  of  us  Stop!  I 
hear  the  bell  on  board.  Hurrah,  there  it  is  again  !  Twenty 
pounds  for  you  if  we  are  back  in  five  minutes!" 

The  boat  skimmed  over  the  waves   under  the   sailors' 


146  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

powerful  oars.     'N  cannon  boomed  in  the  direction  of  the 
town.     Crockston  heard  a  ball  whiz  past  them. 

The  bell  on  the  Dolphin  was  ringing  loudly.  A  few 
more  strokes  and  the  boat  was  alongside.  A  few  more 
seconds  and  Jenny  fell  into  her  father's  arms. 

The  shore-boat  was  immediately  raised,  and  James  Play- 
fair  sprang  onto  the  poop. 

"  Is  the  steam  up,  Mr.  Matthew?  " 

"  Yes,  captain." 

"  Have  the  moorings  cut  at  once." 

A  few  minutes  later  the  two  screws  carried  the  steamer 
towards  the  principal  channel,  away  from  Fort  Sumter. 

"  Mr.  Mathew,"  said  James,  "  we  must  not  think  of  tak- 
ing the  Sullivan  Island  channel;  we  should  run  directly 
under  the  Confederate  guns.  Go  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
right  side  of  the  harbor  out  of  range  of  the  Federal  bat- 
teries.    Have  you  a  safe  man  at  the  helm?  " 

"  Yes,  captain." 

"  Have  the  lanterns  and  the  fires  on  deck  extinguished ; 
there  is  a  great  deal  too  much  light,  but  we  cannot  help 
the  reflection  from  the  engine  rooms." 

During  this  conversation  the  Dolphin  was  going  at  a 
great  speed;  but  in  altering  her  course  to  keep  to  the  right 
side  of  the  Charleston  harbor  she  was  obliged  to  enter  a 
channel  which  took  her  for  a  moment  near  Fort  Sumter; 
and  when  scarcely  half  a  mile  off  all  the  guns  bearing  on 
her  were  discharged  at  the  same  time,  and  a  shower  of  shot 
and  shell  passed  in  front  of  the  Dolphin  with  a  thundering 
report. 

"  Too  soon,  stupids,"  cried  James  Play  fair,  with  a  burst 
of  laughter.  "Make  haste,  make  haste,  Mr.  Engineer! 
We  shall  get  between  two  fires." 

The  stokers  fed  the  furnaces,  and  the  Dolphin  trembled 
all  over  w^ith  the  effort  of  the  engine  as  if  she  was  on  the 
point  of  exploding. 

At  this  moment  a  second  report  was  heard,  and  another 
shower  of  balls  whizzed  behind  the  Dolphin. 

"  Too  late,  stupids,"  cried  the  young  captain,  with  a 
regular  roar. 

Then  Crockston,  who  was  standing  on  the  poop,  cried, 
"  That's  one  passed.  A  few  minutes  more,  and  we  shall 
have  done  with  the  Rebs." 


"BETWEEN   TWO    FIRES"  147 

"  Then  do  you  think  we  have  nothing  more  to  fear  from 
Fort  Sumter?  "  asked  James. 

"  Nothing  at  all,  but  everything  from  Fort  Moultrie,  at 
the  end  of  Sullivan  Island;  but  they  will  only  get  a  chance 
at  us  for  half  a  minute,  and  then  they  must  choose  their 
time  well,  and  shoot  straight  if  they  want  to  reach  us.  We 
are  getting  near." 

"  Right ;  once  past  Fort  Moultrie  we  can  go  straight  for 
the  principal  channel.     Fire  away  then,  fire  away !  " 

At  the  same  moment,  and  as  if  in  obedience  to  James 
Playfair,  the  fort  was  illuminated  by  a  triple  line  of  light- 
ning. A  frightful  crash  was  heard;  then  a  crackHng  sound 
on  board  the  steamer. 

"  Touched  this  time !  "  exclaimed  Crockston. 

"Mr.  Mathew!"  cried  the  captain  to  his  second,  who 
was  stationed  at  the  bows,  "  what  has  been  damaged  ?  " 

"  The  bowsprit  broken." 

"Any  wounded?" 

"  No,  captain." 

"  Well,  then,  the  masts  may  go  to  Jericho.  Straight 
into  the  pass!     Straight!     Steer  towards  the  island." 

"We  have  passed  the  Rebs!"  cried  Crockston;  "and  if 
iwe  must  have  balls  in  our  hull,  I  prefer  the  Northeners; 
they  are  more  easily  digested." 

In  fact,  the  Dolphin  could  not  yet  consider  herself  out 
of  danger;  for  if  Morris  Island  was  not  fortified  with  the 
formidable  pieces  of  artillery  which  were  placed  there  a 
few  months  later,  nevertheless  its  guns  and  mortars  could 
easily  have  sunk  a  ship  like  the  Dolphin. 

The  alarm  had  been  given  to  the  Federals  on  the  island, 
and  to  the  blockading  squadron,  by  the  firing  from  Forts 
Sumter  and  Moultrie.  The  besiegers  could  not  make  out 
the  reason  of  this  night  attack;  it  did  not  seem  to  be  di- 
rected against  them.  However,  they  were  obliged  to  con- 
sider it  so,  and  were  ready  to  reply. 

It  occupied  James  Playfair's  thoughts  whilst  making 
towards  the  passes  of  Morris  Island;  and  he  had  reason 
to  fear,  for  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  time  lights  gleamed 
rapidly  through  the  darkness.  A  shower  of  small  shell 
fell  round  the  steamer,  scattering  the  water  over  her  bul- 
warks; some  of  them  even  struck  the  deck  of  the  Dolphin, 
but  not  on  their  points,  which  saved  the  ship  from  certain, 


148  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

ruin.  In  fact,  these  shell,  as  it  was  afterwards  discovered, 
could  break  into  a  hundred  fragments,  and  each  cover  a 
superficial  area  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  square  feet  with 
Greek  fire,  which  would  burn  for  twenty  minutes,  and 
nothing  could  extinguish  it.  One  of  these  shells  alone  could 
set  a  ship  on  fire.  Fortunately  for  the  Dolphin,  they  were 
a  new  invention,  and  as  yet  far  from  perfect.  Once  throwni 
into  the  air,  a  false  rotary  movement  kept  them  inclined, 
and,  when  falling,  instead  of  striking  on  their  points,  where 
is  the  percussion  apparatus,  they  fell  flat.  This  defect  in 
construction  alone  saved  the  Dolphin.  The  falling  of 
these  shells  did  her  little  harm,  and  under  the  pressure 
of  her  over-heated  boilers  she  continued  to  advance  into  the 
pass. 

At  this  moment,  in  spite  of  orders,  Mr.  Halliburtt  and  his 
daughter  went  to  Play  fair  on  the  poop;  the  latter  urged 
them  to  return  to  their  cabins,  but  Jenny  declared  that  she 
would  remain  by  the  captain.  As  for  Mr.  Halliburtt,  who 
had  just  learnt  all  the  noble  conduct  of  his  deliverer,  he 
pressed  his  hand  without  being  able  to  utter  a  word 

The  Dolphin  was  speeding  rapidly  towards  the  open  sea. 
There  were  only  three  miles  more  before  she  would  be 
in  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic;  if  the  pass  was  free  at  its  en?- 
trance,  she  was  saved.  James  Playfair  was  wonderfully 
well  acquainted  with  all  the  secrets  of  Charleston  Bay,  andi 
he  guided  his  ship  through  the  darkness  with  an  unerring 
hand.  He  was  beginning  to  think  his  daring  enterprise 
successful,  when  a  sailor  on  the  forecastle  cried,  "  A  ship!  " 

"  A  ship?  "  cried  James. 

"  Yes,  on  the  larboard  side.'* 

The  fog  had  cleared  off,  and  a  large  frigate  was  seen 
making  towards  the  pass,  in  order  to  obstruct  the  passage 
of  the  Dolphin.  It  was  necessary,  cost  what  it  might,  to 
distance  her,  and  urge  the  steam  engine  to  an  increase  of 
speed,  or  all  was  lost. 

"  Port  the  helm  at  once ! "  cried  the  captain. 

Then  he  sprang  onto  the  bridge  above  the  engine.  By 
his  orders  one  of  the  screws  was  stopped,  and  under  the 
action  of  the  other  the  Dolphin,  veering  with  an  extra- 
ordinary rapidity  avoided  running  foul  of  the  frigate,  and 
advanced  like  her  to  the  entrance  of  the  pass.  It  was  now 
a  question  of  speed. 


"BETWEEN   TWO    FIRES"  149 

James  Playfair  understood  that  in  this  lay  his  own  safety. 
Miss  Jenny's,  her  father's,  and  that  of  all  his  crew. 

The  frigate  was  considerably  in  advance  of  the  Dolphin. 
It  was  evident  from  the  volumes  of  black  smoke  issuing 
from  her  chimneys  that  she  was  getting  up  her  steam.  James 
Playfair  was  not  the  man  to  be  left  behind. 

"  How  are  the  engines?  "  cried  he  to  the  engineer. 

"  At  the  maximum  speed,"  replied  the  latter;  "  the  steam 
is  escaping  by  all  the  valves." 

"  Fasten  them  down,"  ordered  the  captain. 

And  his  orders  were  executed  at  the  risk  of  blowing  up 
the  ship.  The  Dolphin  again  increased  her  speed;  the  pis- 
tons worked  with  frightful  rapidity;  the  metal  plates  on 
which  the  engine  was  placed  trembled  under  the  terrific 
force  of  their  blows.  It  was  a  sight  to  make  the  boldest 
shudder.  "More  pressure!"  cried  James  Playfair;  "put 
on  more  pressure !  " 

"Impossible!"  replied  the  engineer;  "the  valves  are 
all  tightly  closed;  our  furnaces  are  full  up  to  the 
mouths." 

"  What  difference !  Fill  them  with  cotton  soaked  in'  spir- 
its; we  must  pass  that  frigate  at  any  price." 

At  these  words  the  most  daring  of  the  sailors  looked  at 
each  other,  but  did  not  hesitate.  Some  bales  of  cotton  were 
thrown  into  the  engine  room,  a  barrel  of  spirits  broached 
over  them,  and  this  expensive  fuel  placed,  not  without  dan- 
ger, in  the  red-hot  furnaces.  The  stokers  could  no  longer 
hear  each  other  speak  for  the  roaring  of  the  flames.  Soon 
the  metal  plates  of  the  furnaces  became  red-hot;  the  pistons 
worked  like  the  pistons  of  a  locomotive;  the  steam  gauge 
showed  a  frightful  tension;  the  steamer  flew  over  the  water; 
her  boards  creaked,  and  her  chimneys  threw  out  volumes 
of  smoke  mingled  with  flames  She  was  going  at  a  head- 
long speed,  but,  nevertheless,  she  was  gaining  on  the  frigate 
— passed  her,  distanced  her,  and  in  ten  minutes  was  out  of 
the  channel. 

"  Saved !  "  cried  the  captain. 

"  Saved!  "  echoed  the  crew,  clapping  their  hands. 

Already  the  Charleston  beacon  was  disappearing  in  the 
southwest;  the  sound  of  firing  from  the  batteries  grew 
fainter,  and  it  might  with  reason  be  thought  that  the  danger 
was  all  past,  when  a  shell  from  a  gunboat  cruising  at  large 


150  THE   BLOCKADE   RUNNERS 

was  hurled  whizzing  through  the  air.  It  was  easy  to  trace 
its  course  in  a  line  of  fire. 

Then  was  a  moment  of  anxiety  impossible  to  describe: 
everyone  was  silent,  and  each  watched  fearfully  the  arch 
described  by  the  projectile.  Nothing  could  be  done  to 
escape  it,  and  in  a  few  seconds  it  fell  with  a  frightful  noise 
on  the  foredeck  of  the  Dolphin. 

The  terrified  sailors  crowded  to  the  stern;  no  one  dared 
move  a  step.     The  fuse  burned  with  a  brisk  crackle. 

But  one  brave  man  alone  among  them  ran  up  to  the 
formidable  weapon  of  destruction.  It  was  Crockston;  he 
took  the  shell  in  his  strong  arms,  whilst  showers  of  sparks 
were  falling  from  it;  then,  with  a  superhuman  effort,  he 
threw  it  overboard. 

Hardly  had  the  shell  reached  the  surface  of  the  water 
when  it  burst  with  a  frightful  report. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  "  cried  the  whole  crew  unanimously, 
while  Crockston  rubbed  his  burned  hands. 

Some  time  later  the  steamer  sped  rapidly  through  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic;  the  American  coast  disappeared 
in  the  darkness,  while  the  distant  lights  shooting  across  the 
horizon  indicated  that  the  attack  was  general  between  the 
Northern  batteries  and  the  forts  of  Charleston  Harbor. 


CHAPTER  X 

ST.   MUNGO 

The  next  day  at  sunrise  the  American  coast  had  disap- 
peared; not  a  ship  was  visible  on  the  horizon,  and  the  Dol- 
phin, moderating  the  frightful  rapidity  of  her  speed,  made 
quietly  towards  the  Bermudas. 

It  is  useless  to  recount  the  passage  across  the  Atlantic, 
which  was  marked  by  no  accidents,  and  ten  days  after  the 
departure  from  Queenstown  the  French  coast  was  hailed. 

What  passed  between  the  captain  and  the  young  girl 
may  be  imagined,  even  by  the  least  observant  individuals. 
How  could  Mr.  Halliburtt  acknowledge  the  devotion  and 
courage  of  his  deliverer,  if  it  was  not  by  making  him  the 
happiest  of  men?  James  Playfair  did  not  wait  for  English 
seas  to  declare  to  the  father  and  daughter  the  sentiments 
which  overflowed  his  heart,  and,  if  Crockston  is  to  be  be- 


ST.   MUNGO  151 

lieved,  Miss  Jenny  received  his  confession  witli  a  happiness 
she  did  not  try  to  conceal. 

Thus  it  happened  that  on  the  14th  of  February,  18 — ,  a 
numerous  crowd  was  collected  in  the  dim  aisles  of  St. 
Mungo,  the  old  cathedral  of  Glasgow.  There  were  seamen, 
merchants,  manufacturers,  magistrates,  and  some  of  every 
denomination,  gathered  here.  There  was  Miss  Jenny  in 
bridal  array,  and  beside  her  the  worthy  Crockston,  re- 
splendent in  apple-green  clothes,  with  gold  buttons,  whilst 
Uncle  Vincent  stood  proudly  by  his  nephew. 

In  short,  they  were  celebrating  the  marriage  of  James 
Playfair,  of  the  firm  of  Vincent  Playfair  and  Company, 
of  Glasgow,  with  Miss  Jenny  Halliburtt,  of  Boston. 

The  ceremony  was  accomplished  amidst  great  pomp. 
Everyone  knew  the  history  of  the  Dolphin,  and  everyone 
thought  the  young  captain  well  recompensed  for  his  devo- 
tion. He  alone  said  that  his  reward  was  greater  than  he 
deserved. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a  grand  ball  and  banquet  at 
Uncle  Vincent's  house,  with  a  large  distribution  of  shillings 
to  the  crowd  collected  in  Gordon  Street.  Crockston  did 
ample  justice  to  this  memorable  feast,  while  keeping  him- 
self perfectly  within  bounds. 

Everyone  was  happy  at  this  wedding;  some  at  their  own 
happiness,  and  others  at  the  happiness  around  them,  which 
is  not  always  the  case  at  ceremonies  of  this  kind. 

Late  in  the  evening,  when  the  guests  had  gone,  James 
Playfair  took  his  tmcle's  hand.  "  Well,  Uncle  Vincent," 
said  he. 

Well,  Nephew  James  ?  "         , 

Are  you  pleased  with  the  charming  cargo  I  brought 
you  on  board  the  Dolphin?"  continued  Captain  Playfair, 
showing  him  his  brave  young  wife. 

"I  am  quite  satisfied,"  replied  the  worthy  merchant; 
"  I  have  sold  my  cotton  at  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
per  cent,  profit." 


THE  END 


it 


Round  the  World  in  Eighty  Days 


Round  the  World  in  Eighty  Days 

CHAPTER   I 

IN  WHICH  PHILEAS  FOGG  AND  PASSEPARTOUT  ACCEPT  EACH 
OTHER  AS  MASTER  AND  SERVANT 

N  the  year  1872,  the  house  No.  7,  Saville  Row, 
Burlington  Gardens — the  house  in  which 
Sheridan  died,  in  1814 — was  inhabited  by 
Phileas  Fogg,  Esq.,  one  of  the  most  singular 
and  most  noticed  members  of  the  Reform 
Club  of  London,  although  he  seemed  to  take 
care  to  do  nothing  which  might  attract  attention. 

This  Phileas  Fogg,  then,  an  enigmatic  personage,  of 
whom  nothing  was  known  but  that  he  was  a  very  polite 
man,  and  one  of  the  most  perfect  gentlemen  of  good  Eng- 
lish society,  succeeded  one  of  the  greatest  orators  that  honor 
England. 

An  Englishman  Phileas  Fogg  was  surely,  but  perhaps 
not  a  Londoner.  He  was  never  seen  on  'Change,  at  the 
bank,  or  in  any  of  the  counting-rooms  of  the  "  City."  The 
docks  of  London  had  never  received  a  vessel  fitted  out  by 
Phileas  Fogg.  This  gentleman  did  not  figure  in  any  pub- 
lic body.  His  name  had  never  sounded  in  any  Inns  of 
Court.  He  never  pleaded  in  the  Court  of  Chancery,  nor 
the  Queen's  Bench.  He  was  neither  a  manufacturer,  nor 
a  merchant,  nor  a  gentleman  farmer.  He  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  Institution  of  Great  Britain,  or  the  Lon- 
don Institution,  or  the  Literary  Institution  of  the  West,  or 
the  Law  Institute,  or  that  Institute  of  the  Arts  and  Sciences, 
placed  under  the  direct  patronage  of  her  gracious  majesty. 
In  fact,  he  belonged  to  none  of  the  numerous  societies  that 
swarm  in  the  capital  of  England,  from  the  Harmonic  to 
the  Entomological  Society,  founded  principally  for  the  pur- 
pose of  destroying  hurtful  insects.  Phileas  Fogg  was  a 
member  of  the  Reform  Club,  and  that  was  all. 

Should  anyone  be  astonished  that  such  a  mysterious  gen- 
tleman should  be  among  the  members  of  this  honorable 
institution,  we  will  reply  that  he  obtained  admission  on  the 
recommendation  of  Baring  Brothers,  with  whom  he  had 

155 


156     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

an  open  credit.  Was  this  Phileas  Fogg  rich?  Undoubt- 
edly. But  the  best  informed  could  not  say  how  he  had 
made  his  money,  and  Mr.  Fogg  was  the  last  person  to  whom 
it  would  have  been  proper  to  go  for  information.  He  was 
by  no  means  extravagant  in  anything,  neither  was  he  avari- 
cious, for  when  money  was  needed  for  a  noble,  useful,  or 
benevolent  purpose,  he  gave  it  quietly,  and  even  anony- 
mously. In  short,  no  one  was  less  communicative  than  this 
gentleman.  He  talked  as  little  as  possible,  and  seemed 
much  more  mysterious  than  silent.  His  life  was  open  to 
the  light,  but  what  he  did  was  always  so  mathematically  the 
same  thing,  that  the  imagination,  unsatisfied,  sought 
further. 

Had  he  traveled?  It  was  probable,  for  none  knew  the 
world  better  than  he ;  there  was  no  spot  so  secluded  that  he 
did  not  appear  to  have  a  special  acquaintance  with  it.  Some- 
times, in  a  few  brief,  clear  words,  he  would  correct  the 
thousand  suppositions  circulating  in  the  club  with  reference 
to  travelers  lost  or  strayed;  he  pointed  out  the  true  prob- 
abilities, and  so  often  did  events  justify  his  predictions, 
that  he  seemed  as  if  gifted  with  a  sort  of  second  sight.  He 
was  a  man  who  must  have  traveled  everywhere,  in  spirit 
at  least. 

One  thing  was  certain,  that  for  many  years  Phileas  Fogg 
had  not  been  from  London.  Those  who  had  the  honor  of 
knowing  him  more  intimately  than  others,  affirmed  that 
no  one  could  pretend  to  have  seen  him  elsewhere  than  upon 
this  direct  route,  which  he  traversed  every  day  to  go  from 
his  house  to  the  club.  His  only  pastime  was  reading  the 
papers  and  playing  whist.  He  frequently  won  at  this  quiet 
game,  so  very  appropriate  to  his  nature;  but  his  winnings 
never  went  into  his  purse,  and  made  an  important  item  in 
his  charity  fund.  Besides,  it  must  be  remarked,  that  Mr. 
Fogg  evidently  played  for  the  sake  of  playing,  not  to  win. 
The  game  was  for  him  a  contest,  a  struggle  against  a  dif- 
ficulty; but  a  motionless,  unwearying  struggle,  and  that 
suited  his  character. 

Phileas  Fogg  was  not  known  to  have  either  wife  or  chil- 
dren— which  may  happen  to  the  most  respectable  people — 
neither  relatives  nor  friends — which  is  more  rare,  truly. 
Phileas  Fogg  lived  alone  in  his  house  in  Saville  Row,  where 
nobody  entered.     There  was  never  a  question  as  to  its  in- 


MASTER   AND    SERVANT  157 

terior.  A  single  servant  sufficed  to  serve  him.  Break- 
fasting and  dining  at  the  club,  at  hours  fixed  with  the  ut- 
most exactness,  in  the  same  hall,  at  the  same  table,  not 
entertaining  his  colleagues  nor  inviting  a  stranger,  he  re- 
turned home  only  to  go  to  bed,  exactly  at  midnight,  without 
ever  making  use  of  the  comfortable  chambers  which  the 
Reform  Club  puts  at  the  disposal  of  its  favored  members. 
Of  the  twenty-four  hours  he  passed  ten  at  his  residence 
either  sleeping  or  busying  himself  at  his  toilet.  If  he 
walked,  it  was  invariably  with  a  regular  step  in  the  entrance 
hall,  with  its  mosaic  floor,  or  in  the  circular  gallery, 
above  which  rose  a  dome  with  blue  painted  windows,  sup- 
ported by  twenty  Ionic  columns  of  red  porphyry.  If  he 
dined  or  breakfasted,  the  kitchens  of  the  club  furnished 
his  table  their  succulent  stores;  the  waiters  of  the  club, 
grave  personages  in  dress-coats  and  shoes  with  swan-skin 
soles,  served  him  in  a  special  porcelain  and  on  fine  Saxon 
linen;  the  club  decanters  of  a  lost  mold  contained  his  sherry, 
his  port,  and  his  claret,  flavored  with  orange-flower  water" 
and  cinnamon;  and  finally  the  ice  of  the  club,  brought  at 
great  expense  from  the  American  lakes,  kept  his  drinks  in 
a  satisfactory  condition  of  freshness. 

If  to  live  in  such  conditions  is  eccentric,  it  must  be 
granted  that  eccentricity  has  something  good  in  it! 

The  mansion  on  Saville  Row,  without  being  sumptuous, 
recommended  itself  by  its  extreme  comfort.  Phileas  Fogg 
demanded  from  his  only  servant  an  extraordinary  and  reg- 
ular punctuality.  This  very  day,  the  second  of  October, 
Phileas  Fogg  had  dismissed  James  Forster — this  youth 
having  incurred  his  displeasure  by  bringing  him  shaving 
water  at  eighty-four  degrees  Fahrenheit,  instead  of  eighty- 
six — and  he  was  w^aiting  for  his  successor,  who  was  to  make 
his  appearance  between  eleven  and  half  past  eleven. 

Phileas  Fogg,  squarely  seated  in  his  armchair,  his  feet 
close  together  like  those  of  a  soldier  on  parade,  his  hands 
resting  on  his  knees,  his  body  straight,  his  head  erect,  was 
watching  the  hand  of  the  clock  move — a  complicated 
mechanism  which  indicated  the  hours,  the  minutes,  the  sec- 
onds, the  days,  the  days  of  the  month,  and  the  year.  At 
the  stroke  of  half  past  eleven,  Mr.  Fogg  would,  according 
to  his  daily  habit,  leave  his  house  and  repair  to  the  Reform 
Club. 


158      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  of  the 
small  parlor  in  which  was  Phileas  Fogg.  James  Forster, 
the  dismissed  servant,  appeared.  "  The  new  servant,"  said 
Ke. 

A  young  man,  aged  thirty,  came  forward  and  bowed. 

"You  are  a  Frenchman,  and  your  name  is  John?" 
Phileas  Fogg  asked  him. 

"Jean,  if  it  does  not  displease  monsieur,"  replied  the 
newcomer.  "Jean  Passepartout,  a  surname  which  has 
clung  to  me  and  which  my  natural  aptitude  for  withdraw- 
ing from  a  business  has  justified.  I  believe,  sir,  that  I  am 
an  honest  fellow ;  but  to  be  frank,  I  have  had  several  trades. 
I  have  been  a  traveling  singer;  a  circus  rider,  vaulting  like 
Leotard,  and  dancing  on  the  rope  like  Blondin;  then  I  be- 
came professor  of  gymnastics,  in  order  to  render  my  talents 
more  useful;  and  in  the  last  place,  I  was  a  sergeant  fireman 
at  Paris.  I  have  among  my  papers  notes  of  remarkable 
fires.  But  five  years  have  passed  since  I  left  France,  and 
wishing  to  have  a  taste  of  family  life,  I  have  been  a  valet 
in  England.  Now,  finding  myself  out  of  a  situation, 
and  having  learned  that  Monsieur  Phileas  Fogg  was  the 
most  exact  and  the  most  settled  gentleman  in  the  United 
Kingdom,  I  have  presented  myself  to  monsieur  with  the 
hope  of  living  tranquilly  with  him,  and  of  forgetting  even 
the  name  of  Passepartout." 

"  Passepartout  suits  me,"  replied  the  gentleman.  "  You 
arc  recommended  to  me.  I  have  good  reports  concerning 
you.     You  know  my  conditions  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  what  time  have  you?  " 

"  Twenty-four  minutes  after  eleven,"  replied  Passepar- 
tout, drawing  from  the  depths  of  his  pocket  an  enormous 
silver  watch. 

"  You  are  slow,"  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  Pardon  me,  monsieur,  but  it  is  impossible." 

"You  are  four  minutes  too  slow.  It  does  not  matter. 
It  suffices  to  state  the  difference.  Then,  from  this  moment 
twenty-nine  minutes  after  eleven  o'clock  a.  m.,  this  Wednes- 
day, October  2,  1872,  you  are  in  my  service."  That  said, 
Phileas  Fogg  rose,  took  his  hat  in  his  left  hand,  placed  it 
upon  his  head  with  an  automatic  movement,  and  disap- 
peared without  another  word. 


MASTER   AND    SERVANT  159 

Passepartout  heard  the  street  door  close  once;  it  was  lils 
new  master  going  out;  then  a  second  time;  it  was  his  prede- 
cessor, James  Forster,  departing  in  his  turn.  Passepartout 
remained  alone  in  the  house  in  Saville  Row. 


CHAPTER   II 

IN    WHICH    PASSEPARTOUT    IS    CONVINCED    THAT     HE    HAS 

FOUND  HIS  IDEAL 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  Passepartout  to  himself,  first, 
**  I  have  known  at  Madame  Tussaud's  good  people  as  lively 
as  my  new  master !  "  Madame  Tussaud's  "  good  people  " 
are  wax  figures,  much  visited  in  London,  who,  indeed,  are 
only  wanting  in  speech. 

During  the  few  minutes  that  he  had  interviewed  Phileas 
Fogg,  Passepartout  had  examined  his  future  master,  rap- 
idly but  carefully.  He  was  a  man  that  might  be  forty 
years  old,  of  fine  handsome  face,  of  tall  figure,  which  a 
slight  corpulence  did  not  misbecome,  his  hair  and  whiskers 
light,  his  forehead  compact,  without  appearance  of  wrinkles 
at  the  temples,  his  face  rather  pale  than  flushed,  his  teeth 
magnificent.  He  appeared  to  possess  in  the  highest  degree 
what  physiognomists  call  "  repose  in  action,"  a  quality  com- 
mon to  those  who  do  more  work  than  talking.  Calm, 
phlegmatic,  with  a  clear  eye  and  immovable  eyelid,  he  was 
the  finished  type  of  those  cool-blooded  Englishmen  so  fre- 
quently met  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  whose  somewhat 
academic  posture  Angelica  Kauffman  has  marvelously  re- 
produced under  her  pencil.  Seen  in  the  various  acts  of  his 
existence,  this  gentleman  gave  the  idea  of  a  well-balanced 
being  in  all  his  parts,  evenly  hung,  as  perfect  as  a  chro- 
nometer. Indeed,  Phileas  Fogg  was  exactness  personified, 
which  was  seen  clearly  from  "  the  expression  of  his  feet 
and  his  hands,"  for  with  man,  as  well  as  with  the  animals, 
the  limbs  themselves  are  organs  expressive  of  the  passions. 

Phileas  Fogg  was  one  of  those  mathematically  exact  peo- 
ple, who,  never  hurried  and  always  ready,  are  economical 
of  the  steps  and  their  motions.  He  never  made  one  stride 
too  many,  always  going  by  the  shortest  route.  He  did  not 
give  an  idle  look.  He  did  not  allow  himself  a  superfluous 
gesture.     He  had  never  been  seen  moved  or  troubled.     He 


i6o      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

was  a  man  of  the  least  possible  haste,  but  he  always  arrived 
on  time.  However,  it  will  be  understood  that  he  lived 
alone,  and,  so  to  speak,  outside  of  every  social  relation. 
He  knew  that  in  life  one  must  take  his  share  of  friction,  and 
as  frictions  retard,  he  never  rubbed  against  anyone. 

As  for  Jean,  called  Passepartout,  a  true  Parisian  of  Paris, 
he  had  sought  vainly  for  a  master  to  whom  he  could  attach 
himself,  in  the  five  years  that  he  had  lived  in  England  and 
served  as  a  valet  in  London.  Passepartout  was  not  one  of 
those  Frontins  or  Mascarilles,  who,  with  high  shoulders, 
nose  high  in  air,  a  look  of  assurance,  and  staring  eye,  are 
only  impudent  dunces.  No,  Passepartout  was  a  good  fel- 
low, of  amiable  physiognomy,  his  lips  a  little  prominent,  al- 
ways ready  to  taste  or  caress,  a  mild  and  serviceable  being, 
with  one  of  those  good  round  heads  that  we  like  to  see  on 
the  shoulders  of  a  friend.  His  eyes  were  blue,  his  com- 
plexion rosy,  his  face  fat  enough  for  him  to  see  his  cheek 
bones,  his  chest  broad,  his  form  full,  his  muscles  vigorous, 
and  he  possessed  a  herculean  strength  which  his  youthful 
exercise  had  splendidly  developed.  His  brown  hair  was 
somewhat  tumbled.  If  the  ancient  sculptors  knew  eighteen 
ways  of  arranging  Minerva's  hair,  Passepartout  knev/  of 
but  one  for  fixing  his  own :  three  strokes  of  a  large  comb, 
and  it  was  dressed. 

The  most  meager  stock  of  prudence  would  not  permit  of 
\  saying  that  the   expansive   character  of  this   young  man 

would  agree  with  that  of  Phileas  Fogg.  Would  Passepar- 
tout be  in  all  respects  exactly  the  servant  that  his  master 
needed?  That  would  only  be  seen  by  using  him.  After 
\  having  had,  as  we  have  seen,  quite  a  wandering  youth,  he 

longed  for  repose.  Having  heard  the  exactness  and  prover- 
bial coolness  of  the  English  gentlemen  praised,  he  came  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  England.  But  until  the  present,  fate 
had  treated  him  badly.  He  had  not  been  able  to  take 
root  anywhere.  He  had  served  in  ten  different  houses. 
In  every  one  the  people  were  capricious  and  irreg- 
ular, running  after  adventures  or  about  the  country — which 
no  longer  suited  Passepartout.  His  last  master,  young 
Lord  Longsferry,  member  of  Parliament,  after  having 
passed  his  nights  in  the  Haymarket  oyster-rooms,  returned 
home  too  frequently  on  the  shoulders  of  policemen.  Passe- 
partout wishing,  above  all  things,  to  be  able  to  respect  his 

V.  VII  Verne 


PASSEPARTOUT    FINDS    HIS    IDEAL      i6i 

master,  ventured  some  mild  remarks,  which  were  badly  re- 
ceived, and  he  quit.  In  the  meantime,  he  learned  that 
Phileas  Fogg,  Esq.,  was  hunting  a  servant.  He  made  some 
inquiry  about  this  gentleman.  A  person  whose  existence 
was  so  regular,  who  never  slept  in  a  strange  bed,  who  did 
not  travel,  who  was  never  absent,  not  even  for  a  day,  could 
not  but  suit  him.  He  presented  himself,  and  was  accepted 
under  the  circumstances  that  we  already  know. 

At  half-past  eleven,  Passepartout  found  himself  alone  in 
the  Saville  Row  mansion.  He  immediately  commenced  his 
inspection,  going  over  it  from  cellar  to  garret.  This  clean, 
well-ordered,  austere,  Puritan  house,  well  organized  for 
servants,  pleased  him.  It  produced  the  effect  upon  him  of 
a  fine  snail-shell,  but  one  lighted  and  heated  by  gas,  for 
carburetted  hydrogen  answered  both  purposes  here.  Passe- 
partout found  without  difficulty,  in  the  second-story,  the 
room  designed  for  him.  It  suited  him.  Electric  bells  and 
speaking  tubes  put  it  in  communication  with  the  lower 
stories.  On  the  mantel  an  electric  clock  corresponded  with 
the  one  in  Phileas  Fogg's  bed-chamber,  both  beating  the 
same  second  at  the  same  instant.  "  That  suits  me,  that  suits 
me !  "  said  Passepartout. 

He  observed  also  in  his  room  a  notice  fastened  above  the 
clock.  It  was  the  programme  for  the  daily  service.  It 
comprised — from  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  regular 
hour  at  which  Phileas  Fogg,  rose,  until  half-past  eleven,  the 
hour  at  which  he  left  his  house  to  breakfast  at  the  Reform 
Club — all  the  details  of  the  service,  the  tea  and  toast  at 
twenty-three  minutes  after  eight,  the  shaving  water  at 
thirty-seven  minutes  after  nine,  the  toilet  at  twenty  minutes 
before  ten,  etc.  Then  from  half-past  eleven  in  the  morning 
until  midnight,  the  hour  at  which  the  methodical  gentleman 
retired — everything  was  noted  down,  foreseen,  and  regu- 
lated. Passepartout  took  a  pleasure  in  contemplating  this 
programme,  and  impressing  upon  his  mind  its  various  direc- 
tions. 

As  to  the  gentleman's  wardrobe,  it  was  in  very  good  taste 
and  wonderfully  complete.  Each  pair  of  pantaloons,  coat, 
or  vest  bore  a  regular  number,  which  was  also  entered  upon 
a  register,  indicating  the  date  at  which,  according  to  the 
season,  these  garments  were  to  be  worn  in  their  turn.  The 
same  rule  applied  to  his  shoes. 


i62      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

In  short,  in  this  house  in  Saville  Row — which  in  the  time 
of  the  illustrious  but  dissipated  Sheridan,  must  have  been 
the  temple  of  disorder — its  comfortable  furniture  indicated 
a  delightful  ease.  There  was  no  study,  there  were  no 
books,  which  would  have  been  of  no  use  to  Mr.  Fogg,  since 
the  Reform  Club  placed  at  his  disposal  two  libraries,  the  one 
devoted  to  literature,  the  other  to  law  and  politics.  In  his 
bed-chamber  there  was  a  medium-sized  safe  whose  construc- 
tion protected  it  from  fire  as  well  as  from  burglars.  There 
were  no  weapons  in  the  house,  neither  for  the  chase,  nor  for 
war.     Everything  there  denoted  the  most  peaceful  habits. 

After  having  minutely  examined  the  dwelling,  Passepar- 
tout rubbed  his  hands,  his  broad  face  brightened,  and  he  re- 
peated cheerfully :  "  This  suits  me !  This  is  the  place  for 
me!  Mr.  Fogg  and  I  will  understand  each  other  perfectly! 
A  homebody,  and  so  methodical!  A  genuine  automaton! 
Well,  I  am  not  sorry  to  serve  under  an  automaton! " 


CHAPTER    III 

IN  WHICH  A  CONVERSATION  TAKES  PLACE  WHICH  MAY  COST 

PHILEAS  FOGG  DEARLY 

Phileas  Fogg  had  left  his  house  In  Saville  Row  at  half- 
past  eleven,  and  after  having  put  his  right  foot  before  his 
left  foot  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  times,  and  his  left 
foot  before  his  right  foot  five  hundred  and  seventy-six 
times,  he  arrived  at  the  Reform  Club,  a  spacious  and  lofty 
building  in  Pall  Mall,  which  cost  not  less  than  three  mil- 
lions to  build. 

Phileas  Fogg  repaired  immediately  to  the  dining-room, 
whose  nine  windows  opened  upon  a  fine  garden  with  trees 
already  gilded  by  autumn.  There,  he  took  his  seat  at  his 
regular  table  where  his  plate  was  awaiting  him.  His  break- 
fast consisted  of  a  side  dish,  a  boiled  fish  with  Reading 
sauce  of  first  quality,  a  scarlet  slice  of  roast  beef  garnished 
with  mushrooms,  a  rhubarb  and  gooseberry  tart,  and  a  bit 
of  Chester  cheese,  the  whole  washed  down  with  a  few  cups 
of  that  excellent  tea,  specially  gathered  for  the  stores  of 
the  Reform  Club. 

At  forty-seven  minutes  past  noon,  this  gentleman  rose 
and  turned  his  steps  towards  the  large  hall,  a  sumptuous 


A   CONVERSATION    TAKES    PLACE       163 

apartment  adorned  with  paintings  in  elegant  frames. 
There  a  servant  handed  him  the  Times  uncut,  the  tiresome 
cutting  of  which  he  managed  with  a  steadiness  of  hand 
which  denoted  great  practice  in  this  difficult  operation. 
The  reading  of  this  journal  occupied  Phileas  Fogg  until  a 
quarter  before  four,  and  that  of  the  Standard,  which  suc- 
ceeded it,  lasted  until  dinner.  This  repast  passed  off  in  the 
same  way  as  the  breakfast,  with  the  addition  of  "  Royal 
British  Sauce." 

At  twenty  minutes  before  six  the  gentleman  reappeared 
in  the  large  hall,  and  was  absorbed  in  the  reading  of  the 
Morning  Chronicle. 

Half  an  hour  later  various  members  of  the  Reform  Club 
entered  and  came  near  the  fire-place,  in  which  a  coal  fire 
was  burning.  They  were  the  usual  partners  of  Phileas 
Fogg,  like  himself  passionate  players  of  whist;  the  engineer 
Andrew  Stuart,  the  bankers  John  Sullivan  and  Samuel  Fal- 
lentin,  the  brewer  Thomas  Flanagan,  Gauthier  Ralph,  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Bank  of  England — rich  and  respected 
personages,  even  in  this  club  counting  among  its  members 
the  elite  of  trade  and  finance. 

"Well,  Ralph,"  asked  Thomas  Flanagan,  "how  about 
that  robbery?  " 

"  Why,"  replied  Andrew  Stuart,  "  the  bank  will  lose  the 
money." 

"  I  hope,  on  the  contrary,"  said  Gauthier  Ralph,  "  that 
we  shall  put  our  hands  on  the  robber.  Detectives,  very 
skillful  fellows,  have  been  sent  to  America  and  the  Conti- 
nent, to  all  the  principal  ports  of  embarkation  and  debarka- 
tion, and  it  will  be  difficult  for  this  fellow  to  escape." 

"But  you  have  the  description  of  the  robber?"  asked 
Andrew  Stuart. 

"  In  the  first  place,  he  is  not  a  robber,"  replied  Gauthier 
Ralph,  seriously. 

"  How,  he  is  not  a  robber,  this  fellow  who  has  abstracted 
fifty-five  thousand  pounds  in  bank-notes?" 

"  No,"  replied  Gauthier  Ralph. 

"Is  he  then  a  manufacturer?"  said  John  Sullivan. 

"  The  Morning  Chronicle  assures  us  that  he  is  a  gentle- 
man." 

The  party  that  made  this  reply  was  no  other  than  Phileas 
Fogg,  whose  head  then  emerged  from  the  mass  of  papers 


i64      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

heaped  around  him.  At  the  same  time,  he  greeted  his  col- 
leagues, who  returned  his  salutation.  The  matter  under 
discussion,  which  the  various  journals  of  the  United  King- 
dom were  discussing  ardently,  had  occurred  three  days  be- 
fore, on  the  29th  of  September.  A  package  of  bank-notes, 
making  the  enormous  sum  of  fifty-five  thousand  pounds, 
had  been  taken  from  the  counter  of  the  principal  cashier  of 
the  Bank  of  England.  The  Under-Governor,  Gauthier 
Ralph,  only  replied  to  anyone  who  was  astonished  that  such 
a  robbery  could  have  been  so  easily  accomplished,  that  at 
this  very  moment  the  cashier  was  occupied  with  registering 
a  receipt  of  three  shillings  six  pence,  and  that  he  could  not 
have  his  eyes  everywhere. 

But  it  is  proper  to  be  remarked  here — which  makes  the 
robbery  less  mysterious — that  this  admirable  establishment, 
the  Bank  of  England,  seems  to  care  very  much  for  the 
dignity  of  the  public.  There  are  neither  guards  nor  grat- 
ings ;  gold,  silver,  and  bank-notes  being  freely  exposed,  and, 
so  to  speak,  at  the  mercy  of  the  first  comer.  They  would 
not  suspect  the  honor  of  anyone  passing  by.  One  of  the 
best  observers  of  English  customs  relates  the  following: 
He  had  the  curiosity  to  examine  closely,  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  bank,  where  he  was  one  day,  an  ingot  of  gold  weigh- 
ing seven  to  eight  pounds,  which  was  lying  exposed  on  the 
cashier's  table ;  he  picked  up  this  ingot,  examined  it,  passed 
it  to  his  neighbor,  and  he  to  another,  so  that  the  ingot,  pass- 
ing from  hand  to  hand,  went  as  far  as  the  end  of  a  dark 
entry,  and  did  not  return  to  its  place  for  half  an  hour,  and 
the  cashier  had  not  once  raised  his  head. 

But  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  September,  matters  did  not 
turn  out  quite  in  this  way.  The  package  of  bank-notes  did 
not  return,  and  when  the  magnificent  clock,  hung  above  the 
"  drawing  office,"  announced  at  five  o'clock  the  closing  of 
the  office,  the  Bank  of  England  had  only  to  pass  fifty-five 
thousand  pounds  to  the  account  of  profit  and  loss. 

The  robbery  being  duly  known,  agents,  detectives,  selected 
from  the  most  skillful,  were  sent  to  the  principal  ports, 
Liverpool,  Glasgow,  Havre,  Suez,  Brindisi,  New  York,  etc., 
with  the  promise  in  case  of  success,  of  a  reward  of  two 
thousand  pounds  and  five  per  cent,  of  the  amount  recovered. 
Whilst  waiting  for  the  information  which  the  investigation, 
commenced  immediately,  ought  to  furnish,  the  detectives 


A   CONVERSATION    TAKES    PLACE        165 

were  charged  with  watching  carefully  all  arriving  and  de- 
parting travelers. 

As  the  Morning  Chronicle  said,  there  was  good  reason 
for  supposing  that  the  robber  was  not  a  member  of  any  of 
the  robber  bands  of  England.  During  this  day,  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  September,  a  well-dressed  gentleman,  of  good  man- 
ners, of  a  distinguished  air,  had  been  noticed  going  in  and 
out  of  the  paying  room,  the  scene  of  the  robbery.  The  in- 
vestigation allowed  a  pretty  accurate  description  of  the  gen- 
tleman to  be  made  out,  which  was  at  once  sent  to  all  the 
detectives  of  the  United  Kingdom  and  of  the  continent. 
Some  hopeful  minds,  and  Gauthier  Ralph  was  one  of  the 
number,  believed  that  they  had  good  reason  to  expect  that 
the  robber  would  not  escape. 

As  may  be  supposed,  this  affair  was  the  talk  of  all  Lon- 
don. It  was  discussed,  and  sides  were  taken  vehemently 
for  or  against  the  probabilities  of  success  of  the  city  police. 
It  will  not  be  surprising  then  to  hear  the  members  of 
the  Reform  Club  treating  the  same  subject,  all  the  more 
that  one  of  the  Under-Governors  of  the  Bank  was  among 
them. 

The  Honorable  Gauthier  Ralph  was  not  willing  to  doubt 
the  result  of  the  search,  considering  that  the  reward  offered 
ought  to  sharpen  peculiarly  the  zeal  and  intelligence  of  the 
agents.  But  his  colleague,  Andrew  Stuart,  was  far  from 
sharing  this  confidence.  The  discussion  continued  then  be- 
tween the  gentlemen,  who  were  seated  at  a  whist  table, 
Stuart  having  Flanagan  as  a  partner,  and  Fallentin,  Phileas 
Fogg.  During  the  playing  the  parties  did  not  speak,  but, 
between  the  rubbers,  the  interrupted  conversation  was  fully 
revived. 

"  I  maintain,"  said  Andrew  Stuart,  "  that  the  chances  are 
in  favor  of  the  robber,  who  must  be  a  skillful  fellow!  " 

"  Well,"  replied  Ralph,  "  there  is  not  a  single  country 
where  he  can  take  refuge." 

"  Pshaw ! " 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  he  might  go  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  Andrew  Stuart,  "  but 
after  all,  the  world  is  big  enough." 

"  It  was  formerly,"  said  Phileas  Fogg  in  a  low  tone. 
Then  he  added,  "  It  is  your  turn  to  cut,  sir,"  presenting  the 
cards  to  Thomas  Flanagan. 


i66      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

The  discussion  was  suspended  during  the  rubber.  But 
Andrew  Stuart  soon  resumed  it,  saying,  "  How,  formerly ! 
Has  the  world  grown  smaller  perchance?  " 

"Without  doubt,"  replied  Gauthier  Ralph.  "I  am  of 
the  opinion  of  Mr.  Fogg.  The  world  has  grown  smaller, 
since  we  can  go  round  it  now  ten  times  quicker  than  one 
hundred  years  ago.  And,  in  the  case  with  which  we  are 
now  occupied,  this  is  what  will  render  the  search  more 
rapid." 

"  And  will  render  more  easy  the  flight  of  the  robber!  " 

"  It  is  your  turn  to  play,  Mr.  Stuart!  "  said  Phileas  Fogg. 

But  the  incredulous  Stuart  was  not  convinced,  and  when 
the  hand  was  finished,  he  replied :  "  It  must  be  confessed, 
Mr.  Ralph,  that  you  have  found  a  funny  way  of  saying 
that  the  world  has  grown  smaller!  Because  the  tour  of  it 
is  now  made  in  three  months " 

"  In  eighty  days  only,"  said  Phileas  Fogg. 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,"  added  John  Sullivan,  "  eighty  days, 
since  the  section  between  Rothal  and  Allahabad,  on  the 
Great  Indian  Peninsular  Railway,  has  been  opened.  Here 
is  the  calculation  made  by  the  Morning  Chronicle: 

From  London  to  Suez  via  Mont  Cenis  and  Brin- 

disi,  by  rail  and  steamers 7  days 

From  Suez  to  Bombay,  steamer 13  days 

From  Bombay  to  Calcutta,  rail 3  days 

From  Calcutta  to  Hong  Kong  (China)   steamer..  13  days 
From  Hong  Kong  to  Yokohama  (Japan)  steamer.   6  days 

From  Yokohama  to  San  Francisco,  steamer 22  days 

From  San  Francisco  to  New  York,  rail 7  days 

From  New  York  to  London,  steamer  and  rail ....  9  days 


80  days 


"  Yes,  eighty  days ! "  exclaimed  Andrew  Stuart,  who,  by 
inattention,  made  a  wrong  deal,  "but  not  including  bad 
weather,  contrary  winds,  shipwrecks,  running  off  the  track, 
etc." 

"  Everything  included,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  continuing 
to  play,  for  this  time  the  discussion  no  longer  respected  the 
game. 

"  Even  if  the  Hindoos  or  the  Indians  tear  up  the  rails!  " 


<( 

(( 

it 


A  CONVERSATION   TAKES    PLACE       167 

exclaimed  Andrew  Stuart,  "  if  they  stop  the  trains,  plunder 
the  cars,  and  scalp  the  passengers !  " 

"  All  included,"  replied  PHileas  Fogg,  who,  throwing 
down  his  cards,  added,  "  two  trumps." 

Andrew  Stuart,  whose  turn  it  was  to  deal,  gathered  up 
the  cards,  saying : 

"  Theoretically,  you  are  right,  Mr.  Fogg,  but  prac- 
tically  " 

Practically  also,  Mr.  Stuart." 
I  would  like  very  much  to  see  you  do  it." 
It  depends  only  upon  you.     Let  us  start  together." 
Heaven  preserve  me !  "  exclaimed  Stuart,  "  but  I  would 
[willingly  wager  four  thousand  pounds  that  such  a  journey, 
made  under  these  conditions,  is  impossible." 

"  On  the  contrary,  quite  possible,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"Well,  make  it  then!" 

"  The  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days!  " 

"Yes!" 

"I  am  willing." 

"When?" 

"  At  once.  Only  I  warn  you  that  I  shall  do  it  at  your 
expense." 

"  It  is  folly !  "  cried  Stuart,  who  was  beginning  to  be 
vexed  at  the  persistence  of  his  partner.  "  Stop !  let  us  play 
rather." 

"  Deal  again  then,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  for  there  is  a 
false  deal." 

Andrew  Stuart  took  up  the  cards  again  with  a  feverish 
hand ;  then  suddenly,  placing  them  upon  the  table,  he  said : 

Well,  Mr.  Fogg,  yes,  and  I  bet  four  thousand  pounds!" 
My  dear  Stuart,"  said  Fallentin,  "compose  yourself. 
It  is  not  serious." 

"  When  I  say—*  I  bet,'  "  replied  Andrew  Stuart,  "  it  is 
always  serious." 

"  So  be  it,"  said  Mr.  Fogg,  and  then,  turning  to  his  com- 
panions, continued :  "  I  have  twenty  thousand  pounds  de- 
posited at  Baring  Brothers.     I  will  willingly  risk  them '* 

"  Twenty  thousand  pounds ! "  cried  John  Sullivan. 
"  Twenty  thousand  pounds  which  an  unforeseen  delay  may 
make  you  lose !  " 

"  The  unforeseen  does  not  exist,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg 
quietly. 


1 68      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

"  But,  Mr.  Fogg,  this  period  of  eighty  days  is  calculated 
only  as  a  minimum  of  time  ?  " 

"  A  minimum  well  employed  sufficies  for  everything," 
replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  But  in  order  not  to  exceed  it,  you  must  jump  mathemat- 
ically from  the  trains  into  the  steamers,  and  from  the  steam- 
ers upon  the  trains !  " 

**  I  will  jump  mathematically." 

"That  is  a  joke!" 

"  A  good  Englishman  never  jokes,  when  so  serious  a 
matter  as  a  wager  is  in  question,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 
"  I  bet  twenty  thousand  pounds  against  who  will  that  I 
will  make  the  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days  or  less — 
that  is,  nineteen  hundred  and  twenty  hours  or  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  thousand  two  hundred  minutes.  Do  you  ac- 
cept?" 

"  We  accept,"  replied  Messrs.  Stuart,  Fallentin,  Sullivan, 
Flanagan,  and  Ralph,  after  having  consulted. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Mr.  Fogg.  "  The  Dover  train  starts 
at  eight  forty-five.     I  shall  take  it." 

"  This  very  evening?  "  asked  Stuart. 

"This  very  evening,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg.  Then  he 
added,  consulting  a  pocket  almanac,  *'  Since  to-day  is  Wed- 
nesday, the  second  of  October,  I  ought  to  be  back  in  Lon- 
don, in  this  very  saloon  of  the  Reform  Club,  on  Saturday, 
the  twenty-first  of  December,  at  eight  forty-five  in  the  even- 
ing, in  default  of  which  the  twenty  thousand  pounds  at 
present  deposited  to  my  credit  with  Baring  Brothers  will 
belong  to  you,  gentlemen,  in  fact  and  by  right.  Here  is 
a  check  of  like  amount." 

A  memorandum  of  the  wager  was  made  and  signed  on 
the  spot  by  the  six  parties  in  interest.  Phileas  Fogg  had 
remained  cool.  He  had  certainly  not  bet  to  win,  and  had 
risked  only  these  twenty  thousand  pounds — the  half  of  his 
fortune — ^because  he  foresaw  that  he  might  have  to  expend 
the  other  half  to  carry  out  this  difficult,  not  to  say  impracti- 
cable, project.  As  for  his  opponents  they  seemed  affected, 
not  on  account  of  the  stake,  but  because  they  had  a  sort  of 
scruple  against  a  contest  under  these  conditions. 

Seven  o'clock  then  struck.  They  offered  to  Mr.  Fogg  to 
stop  playing,  so  that  he  could  make  his  preparations  for 
departure. 


A   CONVERSATION    TAKES    PLACE       169 

"  I  am  always  ready !  "  replied  this  tranquil  gentleman, 
and  dealing  the  cards,  he  said — "  Diamonds  are  trumps.  It 
is  your  turn  to  play,  Mr.  Stuart." 


CHAPTER    IV 

IN    WHICH    PHILEAS    FOGG    SURPRISES    PASSEPARTOUT,    HIS 
SERVANT,  BEYOND  MEASURE 

At  twenty-five  minutes  after  seven,  Phileas  Fogg  having 
gained  twenty  guineas  at  whist,  took  leave  of  his  honorable 
colleagues,  and  left  the  Reform  Club.  At  ten  minutes  of 
eight,  he  opened  the  door  of  his  house  and  entered. 

Passepartout,  who  had  conscientiously  studied  his  pro- 
gramme, was  quite  surprised  at  seeing  Mr.  Fogg  guilty  of 
the  inexactness  of  appearing  at  this  unusual  hour.  Accord- 
ing to  the  notice,  the  occupant  of  Saville  Row  ought  not  to 
return  before  midnight,  precisely. 

Phileas  Fogg  first  went  to  his  bed-room.  Then  he  called 
*'  Passepartout !  " 

Passepartout  could  not  reply,  for  this  call  could  not  be 
addressed  to  him,  as  it  was  not  the  hour. 

"  Passepartout,"  Mr.  Fogg  called  again  without  raising 
his  voice  much. 

Passepartout  presented  himself. 

"  It  is  the  second  time  that  I  have  called  you,"  said  Mr. 
Fogg. 

"  But  it  is  not  midnight,"  replied  Passepartout. 

"  I  know  it,"  continued  Phileas  Fogg,  "  and  I  do  not  find 
fault  with  you.  We  leave  in  ten  minutes  for  Dover  and 
Calais." 

A  sort  of  faint  grimace  appeared  on  the  round  face  of 
the  Frenchman.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  not  fully  imder- 
stood.     "  Monsieur  is  going  to  leave  home.'*  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg.  *'  We  are  going  to  make 
the  tour  of  the  world." 

Passepartout,  with  his  eyes  wide  open,  his  eyebrows 
raised,  his  arms  extended,  and  his  body  collapsed,  presented 
all  the  symptoms  of  an  astonishment  amounting  to  stupor. 
"  The  tour  of  the  world !  "  he  murmured. 

"  In  eighty  days,"  replied  Mr.  Fog^.  "  So  we  have  not 
a  moment  to  lose." 


-170     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

"But  the  trunks?"  said  Passepartout,  who  was  uncon- 
sciously swinging  his  head  from  right  to  left. 

"  No  trunks  necessary.  Only  a  carpet-bag.  In  it  two 
woolen  shirts  and  three  pairs  of  stockings.  The  same  for 
you.  We  will  purchase  on  the  way.  You  may  bring  down 
my  mackintosh  and  traveling  cloak,  also  stout  shoes,  al- 
though we  will  walk  but  little  or  not  at  all.     Go." 

Passepartout  would  have  liked  to  make  reply.  He  could 
not.  He  left  Mr.  Fogg's  room,  went  up  to  his  own,  fell 
back  into  a  chair,  and  making  use  of  a  common  phrase  in 
his  country,  he  said:  "Well,  well,  that's  pretty  tough.  I 
who  wanted  to  remain  quiet ! " 

And  mechanically  he  made  his  preparations  for  departure. 
The  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days !  Was  he  doing  busi- 
ness with  a  madman?  No.  It  was  a  joke,  perhaps? 
They  were  going  to  Dover.  Good.  To  Calais,  let  it  be  so. 
After  all,  it  could  not  cross  the  grain  of  the  good  fellow 
very  much,  who  had  not  trod  the  soil  of  his  native  country 
for  five  years.  Perhaps  they  would  go  as  far  as  Paris,  and, 
indeed,  it  would  give  him  pleasure  to  see  the  great  capital 
again.  But,  surely,  a  gentleman  so  careful  of  his  steps 
would  stop  there.  Yes,  doubtless;  but  it  was  not  less 
true  that  he  was  starting  out,  that  he  was  leaving  home, 
this  gentleman  who  until  this  time  had  been  such  a  home- 
body! 

By  eight  o'clock  Passepartout  had  put  in  order  the  mod- 
est bag  which  contained  his  wardrobe  and  that  of  his  mas- 
ter; then,  his  mind  still  disturbed,  he  left  his  room,  the  door 
of  which  he  closed  carefully,  and  he  rejoined  Mr.  Fogg. 

Mr.  Fogg  was  ready.  He  carried  under  his  arm  Brad- 
Shaw's  Continental  Raihvay  Steam  Transit  and  General 
Guide  which  was  to  furnish  him  all  the  necessary  directions 
for  his  journey.  He  took  the  bag  from  Passepartout's 
hands,  opened  it,  and  slipped  into  it  a  heavy  package  of 
those  fine  bank-notes  which  are  current  in  all  countries. 
"  You  have  forgotten  nothing?  "  he  asked. 

"  Nothing,  monsieur." 

"My  mackintosh  and  cloak?" 

"  Here  they  are." 

"  Good,  take  this  bag,"  and  Mr.  Fogg  handed  it  to  Passe- 
partout. "  And  take  good  care  of  it,"  he  added,  "  there 
are  twenty  thousand  pounds  in  it."     The  bag  nearly  slipped 


FOGG    SURPRISES    PASSEPARTOUT       171 

out  of  Passepartout's  hands,  as  if  the  twenty  thousand 
pounds  had  been  in  gold  and  weighed  very  heavy. 

The  master  and  servant  then  descended  and  the  street 
door  was  double  locked.  At  the  end  of  Saville  Row  there 
was  a  carriage  stand.  Phileas  Fogg  and  his  servant  got 
into  a  cab  which  was  rapidly  driven  towards  Charing  Cross 
station,  at  which  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Southeastern 
Railway  touches.  At  twenty  minutes  after  eight  the  cab 
stopped  before  the  gate  of  the  station.  Passepartout 
jumped  out.  His  master  followed  him  and  paid  the  driver. 
At  this  moment  a  poor  beggar  woman,  holding  a  child  in 
her  arms,  her  bare  feet  all  muddy,  her  head  covered  with  a 
wretched  bonnet  from  which  hung  a  tattered  feather,  and 
a  ragged  shawl  over  her  other  torn  garments,  approached 
Mr.  Fogg,  and  asked  him  for  help. 

Mr.  Fogg  drew  from  his  pocket  the  twenty  guineas  which 
he  had  just  won  at  whist,  and  giving  them  to  the  woman, 
said,  "  Here,  my  good  woman,  I'm  glad  to  have  met  you." 
Then  he  passed  on. 

Passepartout  had  something  like  a  sensation  of  moisture 
about  his  eyes.  His  master  had  made  an  impression  upon 
his  heart. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  he  went  immediately  Into  the  large  sitting- 
room  of  the  station.  There  Phileas  Fogg  gave  Passepar- 
tout the  order  to  get  two  first-class  tickets  for  Paris.  Then 
returning,  he  noticed  his  five  colleagues  of  the  Reform 
Club. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  going,"  he  said,  "  and  the  various  vises 
put  upon  a  passport  which  I  take  for  that  purpose  w411  en- 
able you,  on  my  return,  to  verify  my  journey." 

"Oh!  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  Gauthier  Ralph,  "that  is  use- 
less.    We  will  depend  upon  your  honor  as  a  gentleman !  '* 

"  It  is  better  so,"  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  You  do  not  forget  that  you  ought  to  be  back ?  "• 

remarked  Andrew  Stuart. 

"In  eighty  days,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  "Saturday, 
December  21,  1872,  at  a  quarter  before  nine  p.  m.  Au 
revoir,  gentlemen." 

At  forty  minutes  after  eight,  Phileas  Fogg  and  his  serv- 
ant took  their  seats  in  the  same  compartment.  At  eight 
forty-five  the  whistle  sounded,  and  the  train  started. 

The  night  was  dark.     A  fine  rain  was  falling.     Phileas 


172      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Fogg,  leaning  back  in  his  corner,  did  not  speak.  Passepar- 
tout, still  stupefied,  mechanically  hugged  up  the  bag  with 
the  bank-notes.  But  the  train  had  not  passed  Sydenham, 
when  Passepartout  uttered  a  real  cry  of  despair! 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  Why — in — in  my  haste — my  disturbed  state  of  mind,  I 
forgot " 

"Forgot  what?" 

"  To  turn  off  the  gas  in  my  room." 

"  Very  well,  young  man,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  coolly,  "  it 
will  burn  at  your  expense." 


CHAPTER   V 

IN    WHICH    A    NEW    SECURITY    APPEARS    ON    THE    LONDON 

EXCHANGE 

Phileas  Fogg,  in  leaving  London,  doubtless  did  not  sus- 
pect the  great  excitement  which  his  departure  was  going  to 
create.  The  news  of  the  wager  spread  first  in  the  Reform 
Club,  and  produced  quite  a  stir  among  the  members  of  the 
honorable  circle.  Then  from  the  club  it  went  into  the 
papers  through  the  medium  of  the  reporters,  and  from  the 
papers  to  the  public  of  London  and  the  entire  United  King- 
dom. The  question  of  "  the  tour  of  the  world  "  was  com- 
mented upon,  discussed,  dissected,  with  as  much  passion  and 
warmth,  as  if  it  were  a  new  Alabama  affair.  Some  took 
sides  with  Phileas  Fogg,  others — and  they  soon  formed  a 
considerable  majority — declared  against  him.  To  accom- 
plieh  this  tour  of  the  world,  otherwise  than  in  theory  and 
upon  paper,  in  this  minimum  of  time,  with  the  means  of 
communication  employed  at  present,  it  was  not  only  impos- 
sible, it  was  visionary.  The  Times,  the  Standard,  the  Even- 
ing Star,  the  Morning  Chronicle,  and  twenty  other  papers 
of  large  circulation,  declared  against  Mr.  Fogg.  The  Daily 
Telegraph  alone  sustained  him  to  a  certain  extent.  Phileas 
Fogg  was  generally  treated  as  a  maniac,  as  a  fool,  and  his 
colleagues  were  blamed  for  having  taken  up  this  wager, 
which  impeached  the  soundness  of  the  mental  faculties  of 
its  originator.  Extremely  passionate,  but  very  logical, 
articles  appeared  upon  the  subject.  The  interest  felt  in 
England    for    everything  concerning  geography    is    well 


A   NEW    SECURITY   APPEARS  173 

known.  So  there  was  not  a  reader,  to  whatever  class  he 
belonged,  who  did  not  devour  the  columns  devoted  to 
Phileas  Fogg. 

During  the  first  few  days,  a  few  bold  spirits,  principally 
ladies,  were  in  favor  of  him,  especially  after  the  Illustrated 
London  News  had  published  his  picture,  copied  from  his 
photograph  deposited  in  the  archives  of  the  Reform  Club. 
Certain  gentlemen  dared  to  say,  "  Humph !  why  not,  after 
all?  More  extraordinary  things  have  been  seen!"  These 
were  particularly  the  readers  of  the  Daily  Telegraph.  But 
it  was  soon  felt  that  this  journal  commenced  to  be  weaker 
in  its  support. 

In  fact,  a  long  article  appeared  on  the  seventh  of  October, 
in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society.  It 
treated  the  question  from  all  points  of  view,  and  dem- 
onstrated clearly  the  folly  of  the  enterprise.  According  to 
this  article,  everything  was  against  the  traveler,  the  obstacles 
of  man,  and  the  obstacles  of  nature.  To  succeed  in  this 
project,  it  was  necessary  to  admit  a  miraculous  agreement 
of  the  hours  of  arrival  and  departure,  an  agreement  which 
did  not  exist,  and  which  could  not  exist.  The  arrival  of 
trains  at  a  fixed  hour  could  be  counted  upon  strictly,  and  in 
Europe,  where  relatively  short  distances  are  in  question ;  but 
when  three  days  are  employed  to  cross  India,  and  seven  days 
to  cross  the  United  States,  could  the  elements  of  such  a 
problem  be  established  to  a  nicety?  The  accidents  to 
machinery,  running  of  trains  off  the  track,  collisions,  bad 
weather,  and  the  accumulation  of  snows,  were  they  not  all 
against  Phileas  Fogg?  Would  he  not  find  himself  in  win- 
ter on  the  steamers  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  or  the  fogs? 
Is  it  then  so  rare  that  the  best  steamers  of  the  ocean  lines 
experience  delays  of  two  or  three  days?  But  one  delay  was 
sufficient  to  break  irreparably  the  chain  of  communication. 
If  Phileas  Fogg  missed  only  by  a  few  hours  the  departure 
of  a  steamer,  he  would  be  compelled  to  wait  for  the  next 
steamer,  and  in  this  way  his  journey  would  be  irrevocably 
compromised.  The  article  made  a  great  sensation.  Nearly 
all  the  papers  copied  it,  and  the  stock  in  Phileas  Fogg  went 
down  in  a  marked  degree. 

During  the  first  few  days  which  followed  the  departure 
of  the  gentleman,  important  business  transactions  had  been 
made  on  the  strength  of  his  undertaking.     The  world  of 


174     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

betters  in  England  Is  a  more  intelligent  and  elevated  world 
than  that  of  gamblers.  To  bet  is  according  to  the  English 
temperament;  so  that  not  only  the  various  members  of  the 
Reform  Club  made  heavy  bets  for  or  against  Phileas  Fogg, 
but  the  mass  of  the  public  entered  into  the  movement. 
Phileas  Fogg  was  entered  like  a  race  horse  in  a  sort  of 
stud  book.  A  bond  was  issued  which  was  immediately 
quoted  upon  the  London  Exchange.  "  Phileas  Fogg,"  was 
"  bid "  or  "  asked "  firm  or  above  par,  and  enormous 
transactions  were  made.  But  five  days  after  his  departure, 
after  the  appearance  of  the  article  in  the  Bulletin  of  the 
Geographical  Society,  the  offerings  commenced  to  come  in 
plentifully.  "Phileas  Fogg"  declined.  It  was  offered  in 
bundles.  Taken  first  at  five,  then  at  ten,  it  was  finally  taken 
only  at  twenty,  at  fifty,  at  one  hundred! 

Only  one  adherent  remained  steadfast  to  him.  It  was 
the  old  paralytic.  Lord  Albemarle.  This  honorable  gentle- 
man, confined  to  his  arm  chair,  would  have  given  his  for- 
tune to  be  able  to  make  the  tour  of  the  world,  even  in  ten 
years.  He  bet  five  thousand  pounds  in  favor  of  Phileas 
Fogg,  and  even  when  the  folly  as  well  as  the  uselessness  of 
the  project  was  demonstrated  to  him,  he  contented  him- 
self with  replying:  "  If  the  thing  is  feasible,  it  is  well  that 
an  Englishman  should  be  the  first  to  do  it !  " 

The  adherents  of  Phileas  Fogg  became  fewer  and  fewer; 
everybody,  and  not  without  reason,  was  putting  himself 
against  him;  bets  were  taken  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  and 
two  hundred  against  one,  when,  seven  days  after  his  depar- 
ture, an  entirely  unexpected  incident  caused  them  not  to  be 
taken  at  all. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  this  day,  the  Commis- 
sioner of  the  Metropolitan  Police  received  a  telegraphic 
dispatch  in  the  following  words: 

"  Suez  to  London. 

"  Rowan,  Commissioner  of  Police,  Scotland  Yard :  I  have 
the  bank  robber,  Phileas  Fogg.  Send  without  delay  war- 
rant of  arrest  to  Bombay  (British  India). 

"Fix,  Detective/' 

The  effect  of  this  dispatch  was  immediate.  The  honor- 
able gentleman  disappeared  to  make  room  for  the  bank-note 
robber.     His  photograph,  deposited  at  the  Reform  Club 


A   NEW    SECURITY   APPEARS  175 

with  those  of  his  colleagues,  was  examined.  It  reproduced, 
feature  by  feature,  the  man  whose  description  had  been  fur- 
nished by  the  commission  of  inquiry.  They  recalled  how 
mysterious  Phileas  Fogg's  life  had  been,  his  isolation,  his 
sudden  departure;  and  it  appeared  evident  that  this  person, 
under  the  pretext  of  a  journey  round  the  world,  and  sup- 
porting it  by  a  senseless  bet,  had  had  no  other  aim  than  to 
mislead  the  agents  of  the  English  police. 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN  WHICH  THE  AGENT   FIX   SHOWS  A  VERY   PROPER 

IMPATIENCE 

These  are  the  circumstances  under  which  the  dispatch 
concerning  Mr.  Phileas  Fogg  had  been  sent. 

On  Wednesday  the  ninth  of  October,  there  was  expected 
at  Suez,  at  eleven  o'clock,  a.  m.,  the  iron  steamer  Mongolia, 
of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company.  The  Mongolia 
made  regular  trips  from  Brindisi  to  Bombay  by  the  Suez 
canal.  It  was  one  of  the  fastest  sailers  of  the  line,  and  had 
always  exceeded  the  regular  rate  of  speed,  that  is  ten  miles 
an  hour  between  Brindisi  and  Suez,  and  nine  and  fifty-three 
hundredths  miles  between  Suez  and  Bombay. 

Whilst  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  Mongolia,  two  men 
were  walking  up  and  down  the  wharf,  in  the  midst  of  the 
crowd  of  natives  and  foreigners  who  come  together  in  this 
town,  no  longer  a  small  one,  to  which  the  great  work  of  M. 
Lesseps  assures  a  great  future. 

One  of  these  men  was  the  Consular  agent  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  settled  at  Suez,  who,  in  spite  of  the  doleful 
prognostications  of  the  British  Government  and  the  sinister 
predictions  of  Stephenson,  the  engineer,  saw  English  ships 
passing  through  this  canal  every  day,  thus  cutting  off  one- 
half  the  old  route  from  England  to  the  East  Indies  around 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  other  was  a  small,  spare  man,  of  a  quite  intelligent, 
nervous  face,  who  was  contracting  his  eyebrows  with  re- 
markable persistence.  Under  his  long  eyelashes  there  shone 
very  bright  eyes,  but  whose  brilliancy  he  could  suppress  at 
will.  At  this  moment  he  showed  some  signs  of  impatience, 
going,  coming,  unable  to  remain  in  one  spot. 


1/6      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

The  name  of  this  man  was  Fix,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
detectives,  or  agents  of  the  Enghsh  police,  who  had  been 
sent  to  the  various  seaports  after  the  robbery  committed 
upon  the  Bank  of  England.  This  Fix  was  to  watch,  with 
the  greatest  care,  all  travelers  taking  the  Suez  route,  and  if 
one  of  them  seemed  suspicious  to  him,  to  follow  him  up 
whilst  waiting  for  a  warrant  of  arrest.  Just  two  days 
before  Fix  had  received  from  the  Commissioner  of  the 
Metropolitan  Police  the  description  of  the  supposed  robber. 
The  detective,  evidently  much  excited  by  the  large  reward 
promised  in  case  of  success,  was  waiting  then  with  an  impa- 
tience easy  to  understand,  the  arrival  of  the  Mongolia. 
"  And  you  say.  Consul,"  he  asked,  for  the  tenth  time,  *'  that 
this  vessel  cannot  be  behind  time?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Fix,"  replied  the  Consul.  "  She  was  signaled 
yesterday  off  Port  Said,  and  the  one  hundred  and  sixty 
kilometers  of  the  canal  are  of  no  moment  for  such  a  sailer. 
I  repeat  to  you  that  the  Mongolia  has  always  obtained  the 
reward  of  twenty-five  pounds  given  by  the  Government  for 
every  gain  of  twenty-four  hours  over  the  regulation  time." 

"  This  steamer  comes  directly  from  Brindisi  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Fix. 

"  Directly  from  Brindisi,  where  it  took  on  the  India  mail ; 
from  Brindisi,  which  it  left  on  Saturday,  at  five  o'clock 
p.  M.  So  have  patience;  it  cannot  be  behindhand  in  arriv- 
ing. But  really  I  do  not  see  how,  with  the  description  you 
have  received,  you  could  recognize  your  man,  if  he  is  on 
board  the  Mongolia." 

"  Consul,"  replied  Fix,  "  we  feel  these  people  rather  than 
know  them.  You  must  have  a  scent  for  them,  and  the 
scent  is  like  a  special  sense  in  which  are  united  hearing, 
sight  and  smell.  I  have  in  my  life  arrested  more  than 
one  of  these  gentlemen,  and,  provided  that  my  robber 
is  on  board,  I  will  venture  that  he  will  not  slip  from  my 
hands." 

"  I  hope  so,  Mr.  Fix,  for  it  is  a  very  heavy  robbery." 

"  A  magnificent  robbery,"  replied  the  enthusiastic  detec- 
tive. "  Fifty-five  thousand  pounds!  We  don't  often  have 
such  windfalls!  The  robbers  are  becoming  mean  fellows. 
The  race  of  Jack  Sheppard  is  dying  out!  They  are  hung 
now  for  a  few  shillings." 

"  Mr.  Fix,"  replied  the  Consul,  "  you  speak  in  such  a  way 

V.  VU  Verne 


AGENT    FIX    SHOWS    IMPATIENCE        177 

that  I  earnestly  wish  you  to  succeed;  but  I  repeat  to  you 
that,  from  the  circumstances  in  which  you  find  yourself, 
I  fear  that  it  will  be  difficult.  Do  you  not  know  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  description  you  have  received,  this  robber  re- 
sembles an  honest  man  exactly?" 

"  Consul,"  replied  the  detective  dogmatically,  "  great 
robbers  always  resemble  honest  people.  You  understand 
that  those  who  have  rogues'  faces  have  but  one  course  to 
take,  to  remain  honest,  otherwise  they  would  be  arrested. 
Honest  physiognomies  are  the  very  ones  that  must  be  un- 
masked. It  is  a  difficult  task,  I  admit;  and  it  is  not  a  trade 
so  much  as  an  art." 

Fix  was  not  wanting  in  a  certain  amount  of  self-conceit. 

In  the  meantime  the  wharf  was  becoming  lively  little  by 
little.  Sailors  of  various  nationalities,  merchants,  ship- 
brokers,  porters,  and  fellahs  were  coming  together  in  large 
numbers.  The  arrival  of  the  steamer  was  evidently  near. 
The  weather  was  quite  fine,  but  the  atmosphere  was  cold 
from  the  east  wind.  A  few  minarets  towered  above  the 
town  in  the  pale  rays  of  the  sun.  Towards  the  south,  a 
jetty  of  about  two  thousand  yards  long  extended  like  an 
arm  into  the  Suez  roadstead.  Several  fishing  and  coasting 
vessels  were  tossing  upon  the  surface  of  the  Red  Sea,  some 
of  which  preserved  in  their  style  the  elegant  shape  of  the 
ancient  galley. 

Moving  among  this  crowd,  Fix,  from  the  habit  of  his 
profession,  was  carefully  examining  the  passers-by  with  a 
rapid  glance.  It  was  then  half-past  ten.  "  But  this  steamer 
will  never  arrive! "  he  exclaimed  on  hearing  the  port  clock 
strike. 

"  She  cannot  be  far  off,"  replied  the  Consul. 

"  How  long  will  she  stop  at  Suez?  "  asked  Fix. 

"  Four  hours.  Time  enough  to  take  in  coal.  From 
Suez  to  Aden  at  the  other  end  of  the  Red  Sea,  is  reckoned 
thirteen  hundred  and  ten  miles,  and  it  is  necessary  to  lay  in 
fuel." 

"And  from  Suez  this  vessel  goes  directly  to  Bombay?  " 

"  Directly,  without  breaking  bulk." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Fix,  "if  the  robber  has  taken  this 
route  and  this  vessel,  it  must  be  in  his  plan  to  disembark 
at  Suez,  in  order  to  reach  by  another  route  the  Dutch  or 
French  possessions  of  Asia.     He  must  know  very  well  that 


178      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

he  would  not  be  safe  in  India,  which  is  an  English  country." 

"  Unless  he  is  a  very  shrewd  man,"  replied  the  Consul. 
"  You  know  that  an  English  criminal  is  always  better  con- 
cealed in  London  than  he  would  be  abroad." 

After  this  idea,  which  gave  the  detective  much  food  for 
reflection,  the  Consul  returned  to  his  office,  situated  at  a 
short  distance.  The  detective  remained  alone,  affected  by 
a  certain  nervous  impatience,  having  the  rather  singular 
presentiment  that  his  robber  was  to  be  found  aboard  the 
Mongolia — and  truly,  if  this  rascal  had  left  England  with 
the  intention  of  reaching  the  New  World,  the  East  India 
route,  being  watched  less,  or  more  difficult  to  watch  than 
that  of  the  Atlantic,  ought  to  have  had  his  preference. 

Fix  was  not  long  left  to  his  reflections.  Sharp  whistles 
announced  the  arrival  of  the  steamer.  Soon  was  seen  the 
enormous  hull  of  the  Mongolia  passing  between  the  shores 
of  the  canal,  and  eleven  o'clock  was  striking  when  the 
steamer  came  to  anchor  in  the  roadstead,  while  the  escaping 
of  the  steam  made  a  great  noise.  There  were  quite  a  num- 
ber of  passengers  aboard.  Some  remained  on  the  spar-deck, 
contemplating  the  picturesque  panorama  of  the  town;  but 
the  most  of  them  came  ashore  in  the  boats  which  had  gone  to 
hail  the  Mongolia. 

Fix  was  examining  carefully  all  those  that  landed,  when 
one  of  them  approached  him,  after  having  vigorously 
pushed  back  the  fellahs  who  overwhelmed  him  with  their 
offers  of  service,  and  asked  him  very  politely  if  he  could 
show  him  the  office  of  the  English  consular  agent.  And  at 
the  same  time  this  passenger  presented  a  passport  upon 
which  he  doubtless  desired  to  have  the  British  vise.  Fix 
instinctively  took  the  passport,  and  at  a  glance  read  the  de- 
scription in  it.  An  involuntary  movement  almost  escaped 
him.  The  sheet  trembled  in  his  hand.  The  description 
contained  in  the  passport  was  identical  with  that  which  he 
had  received  from  the  Commissioner  of  the  Metropolitan 
Police. 

"  This  passport  is  not  yours?  "  he  said  to  the  passenger. 

"  No,"  replied  the  latter,  "  it  is  my  master's  passport." 

"  And  your  master?  " 

"  Remained  on  board." 

"  But,"  continued  the  detective,  "  he  must  present  him- 
self in  person  at  the  Consul's  office  to  establish  his  identity." 


AGENT    FIX    SHOWS    IMPATIENCE        179 

"What,  is  that  necessary?" 

"  Indispensable." 

"  And  where  is  the  office?  " 

"  There  at  the  corner  of  the  square,"  replied  the  detective 
pointing  out  a  house  two  hundred  paces  off. 

"  Then  I  must  go  for  my  master,  who  will  not  be  pleased 
to  have  his  plans  deranged !  "  Thereupon,  the  passenger 
bowed  to  Fix  and  returned  aboard  the  steamer. 

CHAPTER  VII 

V^^HICH  SHOWS  ONCE  MORE  THE  USELESSNESS  OF  PASSPORTS 

IN  POLICE  MATTERS 

The  detective  left  the  wharf  and  turned  quickly  towards 
the  Consul's  office.  Immediately  upon  his  pressing  demand 
he  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  that  official. 

"  Consul,"  he  said,  without  any  other  preamble,  "  I  have 
strong  reasons  for  believing  that  our  man  has  taken  passage 
aboard  the  Mongolia."  And  Fix  related  what  had  passed 
between  the  servant  and  himself  with  reference  to  the  pass- 
port. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Fix,"  replied  the  Consul,  "  I  would  not  be 
sorry  to  see  the  face  of  this  rogue.  But  perhaps  he  will 
not  present  himself  at  my  office  if  he  is  what  you  suppose. 
A  robber  does  not  like  to  leave  behind  him  the  tracks  of  his 
passage,  and  besides  the  formality  of  passports  is  no  longer 
obligatory." 

"  Consul,"  replied  the  detective,  "  if  he  is  a  shrewd  man, 
as  we  think,  he  will  come." 

"  To  have  his  passport  vised f  " 

"  Yes.  Passports  never  serve  but  to  incommode  honest 
people  and  to  aid  the  flight  of  rogues.  I  warrant  you  that 
his  will  be  all  regular,  but  I  hope  certainly  that  you  will  not 
vise  it." 

"And  why  not?  If  his  passport  is  regular  I  have  no 
right  to  refuse  my  vise." 

"  But,  Consul,  I  must  retain  this  man  until  I  have  re- 
ceived from  London  a  warrant  of  arrest." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Fix,  that  is  your  business,"  replied  the  Con- 
sul, "but  I — I  cannot " 

The  Consul  did  not  finish  his  phrase.  At  tHis  moment 
there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  of  his  private  office,  and  the 


i8o      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

office  boy  brought  in  two  foreigners,  one  of  whom  was  the 
very  servant  who  had  been  talking  with  the  detective. 
They  were,  indeed,  the  master  and  servant.  The  master 
presented  his  passport,  asking  the  Consul  briefly  to  be  kind 
enough  to  vise  it.  The  latter  took  the  passport  and  read  it 
carefully,  while  Fix,  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  was  ob- 
serving or  rather  devouring  the  stranger  with  his  eyes. 

When  the  Consul  had  finished  reading,  he  asked,  "  You 
are  Phileas  Fogg,  Esq.?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  gentleman. 

"And  this  man  is  your  servant?" 

*'  Yes,  a  Frenchman  named  Passepartout." 

"  You  come  from  London?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  are  going?  " 

"  To  Bombay." 

"  Well,  sir,  you  know  that  this  formality  of  the  vise  is 
useless,  and  that  we  no  longer  demand  the  presentation  of 
the  passport?  " 

"  I  know  it,  sir,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  but  I  wish  to 
prove  by  your  vise  my  trip  to  Suez." 

"  Very  well,  sir."  And  the  Consul  having  signed  and 
dated  the  passport,  affixed  his  seal,  Mr.  Fogg  settled  the 
fee,  and  having  bowed  coldly,  he  went  out,  followed  by  his 
servant. 

"  Well?  "  asked  the  detective. 

"  Well,"  replied  the  Consul,  "  he  has  the  appearance  of  a 
perfectly  honest  man !  " 

"Possibly,"  replied  Fix;  "but  that  is  not  the  question] 
with  us.  Do  you  find.  Consul,  that  this  phlegmatic  gentle- 
man resembles,  feature  for  feature,  the  robber  whose  de- 
scription I  have  received?" 

"  I  agree  with  you,  but  you  know  that  all  descrip- 
tions  " 

"  I  shall  have  a  clear  conscience  about  it,"  replied  Fix. 
"The  servant  appears  to  me  less  of  a  riddle  than  the  master. 
Moreover,  he  is  a  Frenchman,  who  cannot  keep  from  talk- 
ing. I  will  see  you  soon  again,  Consul."  The  detective 
then  went  out,  intent  upon  the  search  for  Passepartout. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Fogg,  after  leaving  the  Consul's 
house,  had  gone  towards  the  wharf.  There  he  gave  some 
orders  to  his  servant;  then  he  got  into  a  boat,  returned  on 


i( 
it 
ti 


PASSPORTS    USELESS  i8i 

board  the  Mongolia,  and  went  into  his  cabin.  He  then  took 
out  his  memorandum  book,  in  which  were  the  following 
notes : 

"  Left  London,  Wednesday,  October  2,  8  :^  p.  m. 

"Arrived  at  Paris,  Thursday,  October  3,  7:20  a.  m. 

*'  Left  Paris,  Thursday,  8  40  a.  m. 

"  Arrived  at  Turin  via  Mont  Cenis,  Friday,  October  4, 

6:35  A.  M. 

"  Left  Turin,  Friday,  7:20  a.  m. 

"  Arrived  at  Brindisi,  Saturday,  October  5,  4  p.  m. 
Set  sail  on  the  Mongolia,  Saturday  5  p.  m. 
Arrived  at  Suez,  Wednesday,  October  9,  1 1  a.  m. 
Total  of  hours  consumed,  158  1-2:  or  in  days,  6  1-2 
days." 

Mr.  Fogg  wrote  down  these  dates  in  a  guide-book  ar- 
ranged by  columns,  which  indicated,  from  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber to  the  2 1  St  of  December — the  month,  the  day  of  the 
month,  the  day  of  the  week,  the  stipulated  and  actual  ar- 
rivals at  each  principal  point,  Paris,  Brindisi,  Suez,  Bom- 
bay, Calcutta,  Singapore,  Hong-Kong,  Yokohama,  San 
Francisco,  New  York,  Liverpool,  London,  and  which  al- 
lowed him  to  figure  the  gain  made  or  the  loss  experienced 
at  each  place  on  the  route.  In  this  methodical  book  he  thus 
kept  an  account  of  everything,  and  Mr.  Fogg  knew  always 
whether  he  was  ahead  of  time  or  behind. 

He  noted  down  then  this  day,  Wednesday,  October  9, 
his  arrival  at  Suez,  which  agreeing  with  the  stipulated  ar- 
rival, neither  made  a  gain  nor  a  loss.  Then  he  had  his 
breakfast  served  up  in  his  cabin.  As  to  seeing  the  town, 
he  did  not  even  think  of  it,  being  of  that  race  of  English- 
men who  have  their  servants  visit  the  countries  they  pass 
through. 

CHAPTER  Vni 

IN   WHICH   PASSEPARTOUT   PERHAPS  TALKS  A   LITTLE  MORE 

THAN  IS  PROPER 

Fix  had  in  a  few  moments  rejoined  Passepartout  on  the 
wharf,  who  was  loitering  and  looking  about,  not  believing 
that  he  was  obliged  not  to  see  anything. 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  said  Fix,  coming  up  to  him,  "  is  your 
passport  vised?  " 


:i82      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 


u 
tt 


Ah!    it    is   you,    monsieur,"    replied    the    Frenchman. 

Much  obhged.     It  is  all  in  order." 

"  And  you  are  looking  at  the  country  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  we  go  so  quickly  that  it  seems  to  me  as  if  I 
am  traveling  in  a  dream.     And  so  we  are  in  Suez?  " 

"  Yes,  in  Suez." 

"In  Egypt?" 

"  You  are  quite  right,  in  Egypt." 

"And  in  Africa?" 

"  Yes,  in  Africa." 

"  In  Africa!  "  repeated  Passepartout.  "  I  cannot  believe 
it.  Just,  fancy,  sir,  that  I  imagined  we  would  not  go 
further  than  Paris,  and  I  saw  this  famous  capital  again 
between  twenty  minutes  after  seven  and  twenty  minutes 
of  nine  in  the  morning,  between  the  Northern  station  and 
the  Lyons  station,  through  the  windows  of  a  cab  in  a  driv- 
ing rain!  I  regret  it!  I  would  have  so  much  liked  to  see 
again  Pere  La  Chaise  and  the  Circus  of  the  Champs- 
Elysees !  " 

"  You  are  then  In  a  great  hurry  ?  "  asked  the  detective. 

"  No,  I  am  not,  but  my  master  is.  By-the-by,  I  must  buy 
some  shirts  and  shoes!  We  came  away  without  trunks, 
with  a  carpet  bag  only." 

"  I  am  going  to  take  you  to  a  shop  where  you  will  find 
everything  you  want." 

"  Monsieur,"  replied  Passepartout,  "  you  are  really  very 
kind!" 

And  both  started  off.  Passepartout  talked  incessantly. 
"  Above  all,"  he  said,  "  I  must  take  care  not  to  miss  the 
steamer ! " 

"You  have  the  time,"  replied  Fix,  "  it  is  only  noon ! " 

Passepartout  pulled  out  his  large  watch.  "  Noon. 
Pshaw !     It  is  eight  minutes  of  ten !  " 

"  Your  watch  is  slow !  "  replied  Fix. 

"  My  watch !  A  family  watch  that  has  come  down  from 
my  great-grandfather!  It  don't  vary  five  minutes  in  the 
year.     It  is  a  genuine  chronometer." 

"  I  see  what  is  the  matter,"  replied  Fix.  "  You  have 
kept  London  time,  which  is  about  two  hours  slower  than 
Suez.     You  must  set  your  watch  at  noon  in  each  country." 

"  What !  I  touch  my  watch ! "  cried  Passepartout. 
"  Never." 


PASSEPARTOUT    TALKS    TOO    MUCH      183 

*'  Well  then,  it  will  not  agree  with  the  sun." 

"So  much  the  worse  for  the  sun,  monsieur!  The  sun 
will  be  wrong  then !  "  And  the  good  fellow  put  his  watch 
back  in  his  fob  with  a  magnificent  gesture. 

A  few  moments  after  Fix  said  to  him :  "  You  left  London 
yery  hurriedly  then?  " 

*'  I  should  think  so !  Last  Wednesday,  at  eight  o'cloclc 
in  the  evening,  contrary  to  all  his  habits.  Monsieur  Fogg 
returned  from  his  club,  and  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
afterward  we  were  off." 

"  But  where  is  your  master  going,  then  ?  " 

"  Right  straight  ahead !  He  is  making  the  tour  of  the 
world!" 

"  The  tour  of  the  world?  "  cried  Fix. 

"  Yes  in  eighty  days !  On  a  wager,  he  says ;  but,  between 
Ourselves,  I  do  not  believe  it.  There  is  no  common  sense 
in  it.     There  must  be  something  else." 

"  This  Mr.  Fogg  is  an  original  genius?  " 

"  I  should  think  so." 

"Is  he  rich?" 

"  Evidently  and  he  carries  such  a  fine  sum  witH  him  in 
fresh,  new  bank  notes!  And  he  doesn't  spare  his  money 
on  the  route !  Oh !  but  he  has  promised  a  splendid  reward 
to  the  engineer  of  the  Mongolia,  if  we  arrive  at  Bombay 
considerably  in  advance!" 

"  And  you  have  known  him  for  a  long  time,  this  master 
of  yours?  " 

"  I,"  replied  Passepartout,  "  I  entered  his  service  the  very 
day  of  our  departure." 

The  effect  which  these  answers  naturally  produced  upon 
the  mind  of  the  detective,  already  strained  with  excitement, 
may  easily  be  imagined.  This  hurried  departure  from  Lon- 
don so  short  a  time  after  the  robbery,  this  large  sum  carried 
away,  this  haste  to  arrive  in  distant  countries,  this  pretext 
of  an  eccentric  wager,  all  could  have  no  other  effect  than 
to  confirm  Fix  in  his  ideas.  He  kept  the  Frenchman  talk- 
ing, and  learned  to  a  certainty  that  this  fellow  did  not  know 
his  master  at  all,  that  he  lived  isolated  in  London,  that  he 
was  called  rich  without  the  source  of  his  fortune  being 
known,  that  he  was  a  mysterious  man,  etc.  But  at  the 
same  time  Fix  was  certain  that  Phileas  Fogg  would  not  get 
off  at  Suez,  but  that  he  was  really  going  to  Bombay. 


i84      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 


n 


Is  Bombay  far  from  here?  "  asked  Passepartout. 
Pretty  far,"  replied  the  detective.     "  It  will  take  you 
len  days  more  by  sea." 

"  And  where  do  you  locate  Bombay  ?  " 

"  In  India." 

"  In  Asia !  The  deuce !  I  must  tell  you — there  is  one 
thing  that  bothers  me — it  is  my  burner." 

"What  burner?" 

"  My  gas-burner,  which  I  forgot  to  turn  off,  and  which 
is  burning  at  my  expense.  Now,  I  have  calculated  that  it 
will  cost  me  two  shillings  each  twenty-four  hours,  exactly 
sixpence  more  than  I  earn,  and  you  understand  that,  how- 
ever little  our  journey  may  be  prolonged " 

Did  Fix  understand  the  matter  of  the  gas?  It  is  im- 
probable. He  did  not  listen  any  longer,  and  was  coming 
to  a  determination.  The  Frenchman  and  he  had  arrived 
at  the  shop.  Fix  left  his  companion  there  making  his  pur- 
chases, recommending  him  not  to  miss  the  departure  of  the 
Mongolia,  and  he  returned  in  great  haste  to  the  Consul's 
office.  Fix  had  regained  his  coolness  completely,  now  that 
he  was  fully  convinced. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  he  to  the  Consul,  "  I  have  my  man. 
He  is  passing  himself  off  as  an  oddity,  who  wishes  to  make 
the  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days." 

"  Then  he  is  a  rogue,"  replied  the  Consul,  "  and  he  counts 
on  returning  to  London  after  having  deceived  all  the  police 
of  the  two  continents." 

"  We  will  see,"  replied  Fix. 

"'  But  are  you  not  mistaken  ?  "  asked  the  Consul  once 
more. 

"  I  am  not  mistaken." 

"  Why,  then,  has  this  robber  insisted  upon  having  his 
stopping  at  Suez  confirmed  by  a  visef  " 

"Why?  I  do  not  know,  Consul,"  replied  the  detective; 
"  but  listen  to  me."  And  in  a  few  words  he  related  the 
salient  points  of  his  conversation  with  the  servant  of  the 
said  Fogg. 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Consul,  "  all  the  presumptions  are 
against  this  man.     And  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"Send  a  dispatch  to  London  with  the  urgent  request  to 
send  to  me  at  once  at  Bombay  a  warrant  of  arrest,  set  sail 
upon  the  Mongolia,  follow  my  robber  to  the  Indies,  and 


PASSEPARTOUT   TALKS    TOO    MUCH      185 

there,  on  English  soil,  accost  him  politely,  with  the  warrant 
in  one  hand,  and  the  other  hand  upon  his  shoulder." 

Having  uttered  these  words,  the  detective  took  leave  of 
the  Consul,  and  repaired  to  the  telegraph  office.  Thence 
he  telegraphed  to  the  commissioner  of  the  metropolitan 
police,  as  we  have  already  seen.  A  quarter  of  an  hour 
later  Fix,  with  his  light  baggage  in  his  hand,  and  well  sup- 
plied with  money,  went  on  board  the  Mongolia.  Soon  the 
swift  steamer  was  threading  its  way  under  full  head  of 
steam  on  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea. 

CHAPTER  IX 

IN    V^HICH    THE   RED    SEA   AND   THE    INDIAN    OCEAN    SHOW 
THEMSELVES   PROPITIOUS   TO    PHILEAS    FOGG'S   DESIGNS 

The  distance  between  Suez  and  Aden  is  exactly  thirteen 
hundred  and  ten  miles,  and  the  time-table  of  the  company 
allows  its  steamers  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
hours  to  make  the  distance.  The  Mongolia,  whose  fires 
were  well  kept  up,  moved  along  rapidly  enough  to  antici- 
pate her  stipulated  arrival.  Nearly  all  the  passengers  who 
came  aboard  at  Brindisi  had  India  for  their  destination. 
Some  were  going  to  Bombay,  others  to  Calcutta,  but  via 
Bombay,  for  since  a  railway  crosses  the  entire  breadth  of 
the  Indian  peninsula,  it  is  no  longer  necessary  to  double 
the  island  of  Ceylon. 

There  was  good  living  on  board  the  Mongolia,  in  this 
company  of  officials,  to  which  were  added  some  young  Eng- 
lishmen, who,  with  a  million  in  their  pockets,  were  going 
to  establish  commercial  houses  abroad.  The  purser,  the 
confidential  man  of  the  company,  the  equal  of  the  captain 
on  board  the  ship,  did  things  elegantly.  At  the  breakfast, 
at  the  lunch  at  two  o'clock,  at  the  dinner  at  half  past  five, 
at  the  supper  at  eight  o'clock,  the  tables  groaned  under  the 
dishes  of  fresh  meat  and  the  relishes,  furnished  by  the  re- 
frigerator, and  the  pantries  of  the  steamer.  The  ladies,  of 
whom  there  were  a  few,  changed  their  toilet  twice  a  day. 
There  was  music,  and  there  was  dancing  also  when  the  sea 
allowed  it. 

But  the  Red  Sea  is  very  capricious  and  too  frequently 
rough,  like  all  long,  narrow  bodies  of  water.  When  the 
wind  blew  either  from  the  coast  of  Asia,  or  from  the  coast 


t86      round   the   world   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

of  Africa,  the  Mongolia,  being  very  long  and  sharp  built, 
and  struck  amidships,  rolled  fearfully.  The  ladies  then  dis- 
appeared; the  pianos  were  silent;  songs  and  dances  ceased 
at  once.  And  yet,  notwithstanding  the  squall  and  the  agi- 
tated waters,  the  steamer,  driven  by  Its  powerful  engine, 
pursued  its  course  without  delay  to  the  straits  of  Bab-el- 
Mandeb. 

What  was  Phileas  Fogg  doing  all  this  time?  It  might 
be  supposed  that,  always  uneasy  and  anxious,  his  mind 
would  be  occupied  with  the  changes  of  the  wind  interfering 
with  the  progress  of  the  vessel,  the  irregular  movements  of 
the  squall  threatening  an  accident  to  the  engine,  and  in  short 
all  the  possible  injuries,  which,  compelling  the  Mongolia  to 
put  into  some  port,  would  have  interrupted  his  journey. 

By  no  means,  or,  at  least,  if  this  gentleman  thought  of 
these  probabilities,  he  did  not  let  it  appear  as  if  he  did.  He 
was  the  same  impassible  man,  the  imperturbable  member 
of  the  Reform  Club,  whom  no  incident  or  accident  could 
surprise.  He  did  not  appear  more  affected  than  the  ship's 
chronometers.  He  was  seldom  seen  upon  the  deck.  He 
troubled  himself  very  little  about  looking  at  this  Red  Sea, 
so  fruitful  in  recollections,  the  spot  where  the  first  historic 
scenes  of  mankind  were  enacted.  He  did  not  recognize  the 
curious  towns  scattered  upon  its  shores,  whose  picturesque 
outlines  stood  out  sometimes  against  the  horizon.  He  did 
not  even  dream  of  the  dangers  of  the  Gulf  of  Arabia,  of 
which  the  ancient  historians,  Strabo,  Arrius,  Artemidorus, 
and  others,  always  spoke  with  dread,  and  upon  which  the 
navigators  never  ventured  in  former  times  without  having 
consecrated  their  voyage  by  propitiatory  sacrifices. 

What  was  this  queer  fellow,  imprisoned  upon  the  Mon- 
golia, doing?  At  first  he  took  his  four  meals  a  day,  the 
rolling  and  pitching  of  the  ship  not  putting  out  of  order 
his  mechanism,  so  wonderfully  organized.  Then  he  played 
at  whist.  For  he  found  companions  as  devoted  to  it  as 
himself:  a  collector  of  taxes,  who  was  going  to  his  post  at 
Goa;  a  minister,  the  Rev.  Decimus  Smith,  returning  to 
Bombay;  and  a  brigadier  general  of  the  English  army,  who 
was  rejoining  his  corps  at  Benares.  These  three  passengers 
had  the  same  passion  for  whist  as  Mr.  Fogg,  and  they 
played  for  entire  hours,  not  less  quietly  than  he. 

As  for  Passepartout,  sea  sickness  had  taken  no  hold  on 


THE    RED    SEA  187 

him.  He  occupied  a  forward  cabin,  and  ate  conscientiously. 
It  must  be  said  that  the  voyage  made  under  these  circum- 
stances was  decidedly  not  unpleasant  to  him.  He  rather 
liked  his  share  of  it.  Well  fed  and  well  lodged,  he  was 
seeing  the  country,  and  besides  he  asserted  to  himself  that 
all  this  whim  would  end  at  Bombay.  The  next  day  after 
leaving  Suez  it  was  not  without  a  certain  pleasure  that  he 
met  on  deck  the  obliging  person  whom  he  had  addressed  on 
landing  in  Egypt.  "  I  am  not  mistaken,"  he  said,  approach- 
ing him  with  his  most  amiable  smile,  "  you  are  the  very 
gentleman  that  so  kindly  served  as  my  guide  in  Suez?" 

"Indeed,"  replied  the  detective,  "I  recognize  you!  You 
are  the  servant  of  that  odd  Englishman " 

"Just  so,  Monsieur ?" 

"  Fix." 

"  Monsieur  Fix,"  replied  Passepartout.  "  Delighted  to 
meet  you  again  on  board  this  vessel.  And  where  are  you 
going?" 

"  Why,  to  the  same  place  as  yourself,  Bombay." 
That  is  first  rate!     Have  you  already  made  this  trip?  " 
Several  times,"  replied  Fix.     "  I  am  an  agent  of  the 
Peninsular  Company." 

"  Then  you  know  India?  " 

"  Why — yes,"  replied  Fix,  who  did  not  wish  to  commit 
himself  too  far. 

"And  this  India  is  a  curious  place?" 

"  Very  curious !  Mosques,  minarets,  temples,  fakirs,  pa- 
godas, tigers,  serpents,  dancing  girls !  But  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  you  will  have  time  to  visit  the  country?  " 

"  I  hope  so.  Monsieur  Fix.  You  understand  very  well 
that  it  is  not  permitted  to  a  man  of  sound  mind  to  pass  his 
life  in  jumping  from  a  steamer  into  a  railway  car  and  from 
a  railway  car  into  a  steamer,  under  the  pretext  of  m.aking 
the  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days!  No.  All  these  gym- 
nastics will  cease  at  Bombay,  don't  doubt  it." 

"  And  Mr.  Fogg  is  well?  "  asked  Fix  in  the  most  natural 
tone. 


t( 


"  Very  well,  Monsieur  Fix,  and  I  am  too.     I  eat  like 
an  ogre  that  has  been  fasting.     It  is  the  sea  air." 
"  I  never  see  your  master  on  deck." 
"  Never.     He  is  not  inquisitive." 
"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Passepartout,  that  this  pretended 


i88      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

tour  in  eighty  days  might  very  well  be  the  cover  for  some 
secret  mission — a  diplomatic  mission,  for  example !  " 

"  Upon  my  word,  Monsieur  Fix,  I  don't  know  anything 
about  it,  I  confess,  and  really  I  wouldn't  give  a  half  crown 
to  know." 

After  this  meeting,  Passepartout  and  Fix  frequently 
talked  together.  The  detective  thought  he  ought  to  have 
close  relations  with  the  servant  of  this  gentleman  Fogg. 
There  might  be  an  occasion  when  he  could  serve  him.  He 
frequently  offered  him,  in  the  barroom  of  the  Mongolia,  a 
few  glasses  of  whisky  or  pale  ale,  which  the  good  fellow 
accepted  without  reluctance,  and  returned  even  so  as  not 
to  be  behind  him — finding  this  Fix  to  be  a  very  honest  gen- 
tleman. 

In  the  meantime  the  steamer  was  rapidly  getting  on.  On 
the  13th  they  sighted  Mocha,  which  appeared  in  its  en- 
closure of  ruined  walls,  above  which  were  hanging  green 
date  trees.  At  a  distance,  in  the  mountains,  there  were 
seen  immense  fields  of  coffee  trees.  Passepartout  was  de- 
lighted to  behold  this  celebrated  place,  and  he  found,  with 
its  circular  walls  and  a  dismantled  fort  in  the  shape  of  a 
handle,  it  looked  like  an  enormous  cup  and  saucer. 

During  the  following  night  the  Mongolia  passed  through 
the  Straits  of  Bab-el-Mandeb,  the  Arabic  name  of  which 
signifies  "  The  Gate  of  Tears,"  and  the  next  day,  the  14th, 
she  put  in  at  Steamer  Point,  to  the  northwest  of  Aden  har- 
bor. The  Mongolia  had  still  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  to  make  before  reaching  Bombay,  and  she  had  to  re- 
main four  hours  at  Steamer  Point,  to  lay  in  her  coal.  But 
this  delay  could  not  in  any  way  be  prejudicial  to  Phileas 
Fogg's  programme.  It  was  foreseen.  Besides,  the  Mon- 
golia, instead  of  not  arriving  at  Aden  until  the  morning  of 
the  15th,  put  in  there  the  evening  of  the  14th,  a  gain  of 
fifteen  hours. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  his  servant  landed.  The  gentleman 
wished  to  have  his  passport  vised.  Fix  followed  him  with- 
out being  noticed.  The  formality  of  the  vise  through  with, 
Phileas  Fogg  returned  on  board  to  resume  his  interrupted 
play.  Passepartout,  according  to  his  custom,  loitered  about 
in  the  midst  of  the  population  of  Somanlls,  Banyans,  Par- 
sees,  Jews,  Arabs,  Europeans,  making  up  the  twenty-five 
thousand  inhabitants  of  Aden.     He  admired  the  fortifica- 


THE   RED    SEA  189 

tions  which  make  of  this  town  the  Gibraltar  of  the  Indian 
Ocean,  and  some  splendid  cisterns,  at  which  the  English 
engineers  were  still  working,  two  thousand  years  after  the 
engineers  of  King  Solomon.  "  Very  singular,  very  sin- 
gular!" said  Passepartout  to  himself  on  returning  aboard. 
"I  see  that  it  is  not  useless  to  travel,  if  we  wish  to  see  any- 
thing new." 

At  six  o'clock  p.  M.  the  Mongolia  was  plowing  the  waters 
of  the  Aden  harbor,  and  soon  reached  the  Indian  Ocean. 
She  had  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  hours  to  make  the 
distance  between  Aden  and  Bombay.  The  Indian  Ocean 
was  favorable  to  her,  the  wind  kept  in  the  northwest,  and 
the  sails  came  to  the  aid  of  the  steam.  The  ship,  well  bal- 
anced, rolled  less.  The  ladies,  in  fresh  toilets,  reappeared 
upon  the  deck.  The  singing  and  dancing  recommenced. 
Their  voyage  was  then  progressing  under  the  most  favor- 
able circumstances.  Passepartout  was  delighted  with  the 
agreeable  companion  whom  chance  had  procured  for  him 
in  the  person  of  Fix. 

On  Sunday,  the  20th  of  October,  toward  noon,  they 
sighted  the  Indian  coast.  Two  hours  later,  the  pilot  came 
aboard  the  Mongolia.  The  outlines  of  the  hills  blended 
with  the  sky.  Soon  the  rows  of  palm  trees  which  abound 
in  the  place  came  into  distinct  view.  The  steamer  entered 
the  harbor  formed  by  the  islands  of  Salcette,  Colaba,  Ele- 
phanta,  and  Butcher,  and  at  half  past  four  she  put  in  at 
the  wharves  of  Bombay.  Phileas  Fogg  was  then  finishing 
the  thirty-third  rubber  of  the  day,  and  his  partner  and 
himself,  thanks  to  a  bold  maneuver,  having  made  thirteen 
tricks,  wound  up  this  fine  trip  by  a  splendid  victory.  The 
Mongolia  was  not  due  at  Bombay  until  the  226.  of  October. 
She  arrived  on  the  20th.  This  was  a  gain  of  two  days, 
then,  since  his  departure  from  London,  and  Phileas  Fogg 
methodically  noted  it  down  in  his  memorandum  book  in 
the  column  of  gains. 


CHAPTER  X 

IN  WHICH   PASSEPARTOUT  IS  ONLY  TOO   HAPPY  TO  GET  OFF 
WITH  THE  LOSS  OF  HIS  SHOES 

No  one  is  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  India,  the  great  re- 
versed triangle  whose  base  is  to  the  north  and  its  apex  to 
the  south,  comprises  a  superficial  area  of  fourteen  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  over  which  is  unequally  scattered 
a  population  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  millions  of  inhabi- 
tants.    The  British  government  exercises  a  real  dominion 
over  a  certain  portion  of  this  vast  country.     It  maintains 
a   Governor-General   at   Calcutta,    Governors   at   Madras, 
Bombay,  and  Bengal,  and  a  Lieutenant-Governor  at  Agra. 
But   English    India,    properly   so-called,    counts   only   a 
superficial  area  of  seven  hundred  thousand  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  ten 
millions  of  inhabitants.     It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  a  promi- 
ment  part  of  the  territory  is  still  free  from  the  authority  of 
the  Queen;  and,  indeed,  with  some  of  the  rajahs  of  the  in- 
terior, fierce  and  terrible,  Hindoo  independence  is  still  ab- 
solute.    Since  1756 — the  period  at  which  was  founded  the 
first  English  establishment  on  the  spot  to-day  occupied  by 
the  city  of  Madras — until  the  year  in  which  broke  out  the 
great  Sepoy  insurrection,  the  celebrated  East  India  Com- 
pany was  all-powerful.     It  annexed  little  by  little  the  vari- 
ous provinces,  bought  from  the  rajahs  at  the  price  of  annual 
rents,  which  it  paid  in  part  or  not  at  all ;  it  named  its  Gov- 
ernor-General and  all  its  civil  or  military  employes;  but 
now  it  no  longer  exists,  and  the  English  possessions  in  India 
are  directly  under  the  Crown.     Thus  the  aspect,  the  man- 
ners, and  the  distinctions  of  race  of  the  peninsula  are  being 
changed  every  day.     Formerly  they  traveled  by  all  the  old 
means  of  conveyance,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  in  carts,  in 
small  vehicles  drawn  by  men,  in  palanquins,  on  men's  backs, 
in  coaches,  etc.     Now,  steamboats  traverse  with  great  rapid- 
ity the  Indus  and  the  Ganges,  and  a  railway  crossing  the 
entire  breadth  of  India,  and  branching  in  various  directions, 
puts  Bombay  at  only  three  days  from  Calcutta. 

The  route  of  this  railway  does  not  follow  a  straight  line 
across  India.  The  air  line  distance  is  only  one  thousand  to 
eleven  hundred  miles,  and  trains,  going  at  only  an  average 
rapidity,  would  not  take  three  days  to  make  it;  but  this 
distance  is  increased  at  least  one-third  by  the  arc  described 

190 


PASSEPARTOUT  LOSES  HIS  SHOES       191 

by  the  railway  rising  to  Allahabad,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  peninsula.  In  short,  these  are  the  principal  points  of 
the  route  of  the  Great  Indian  Peninsular  Railway.  Leav- 
ing the  island  of  Bombay,  it  crosses  Salcette,  touches  the 
mainland  opposite  Tannah,  crosses  the  chain  of  the  West- 
ern Ghauts,  runs  to  the  northeast  as  far  as  Burhampour, 
goes  through  the  nearly  independent  territory  of  Bundel- 
kund,  rises  as  far  as  Allahabad,  turns  towards  the  east, 
meets  the  Ganges  at  Benares,  turns  slightly  aside,  and  de- 
scending again  to  the  southeast  by  Burdivan  and  the  French 
town  of  Chandernagor,  it  reaches  the  end  of  the  route  at 
Calcutta. 

It  was  at  half  past  four  p.  m.  that  the  passengers  of  the 
Mongolia  had  landed  in  Bombay,  and  the  train  for  Calcutta 
would  leave  at  precisely  eight  o'clock.  Mr,  Fogg  then  took 
leave  of  his  partners,  left  the  steamer,  gave  his  servant  di- 
rections for  some  purchases,  recommended  him  expressly 
to  be  at  the  station  before  eight  o'clock,  and  with  his  regular 
step,  which  beat  the  second-like  pendulum  of  an  astronom- 
ical clock,  he  turned  his  steps  towards  the  passport  office. 
He  did  not  think  of  looking  at  any  of  the  wonders  of  Bom- 
bay, neither  the  city  hall,  nor  the  magnificent  library,  nor 
the  forts,  nor  the  docks,  nor  the  cotton  market,  nor  the 
shops,  nor  the  mosques,  nor  the  synagogues,  nor  the  Ar- 
menian churches,  nor  the  splendid  pagoda  of  Malebar  Hill, 
adorned  with  two  polygonal  towers.  He  would  not  con- 
template either  the  masterpieces  of  Elephanta,  or  its  mys- 
terious hypogea,  concealed  in  the  southeast  of  the  harbor, 
or  the  Kanherian  grottoes  of  the  Island  of  Salcette,  those 
splendid  remains  of  Buddhist  architecture!  No,  nothing 
of  that  for  him.  After  leaving  the  passport  office,  Phileas 
Fogg  quietly  repaired  to  the  station,  and  there  had  dinner 
served.  Among  other  dishes,  the  landlord  thought  he 
ought  to  recommend  to  him  a  certain  giblet  of  "  native  rab- 
bit," of  which  he  spoke  in  the  highest  terms.  Phileas  Fogg 
accepted  the  giblet  and  tasted  it  conscientiously;  but  in 
spite  of  the  spiced  sauce,  he  found  it  detestable.  He  rang 
for  the  landlord. 

"  Sir,"  he  said,  looking  at  him  steadily,  "  is  that  rabbit?  " 

"Yes,  my  lord,"  replied  the  rogue  boldly,  "the  rabbit 
of  the  jungles." 

"  And  that  rabbit  did  not  mew  when  it  was  killed  ?  " 


192      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 
"  Mew !  oh,  my  lord !  a  rabbit !     I  swear  to  you- 


Landlord,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg  coolly,  "  don't  swear,  and 
recollect  this :  in  former  times,  in  India,  cats  were  considered 
sacred  animals.     That  was  a  good  time." 

"  For  the  cats,  my  lord?  " 

"  And  perhaps  also  for  the  travelers !  " 

After  this  observation  Mr.  Fogg  went  on  quietly  with  his 
dinner. 

A  few  minutes  after  Mr.  Fogg,  the  detective  Fix  also 
landed  from  the  Mongolia,  and  hastened  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Police  in  Bombay.  He  made  himself  knovv^n  in' 
his  capacity  as  detective,  the  mission  with  which  he  was 
charged,  his  position  towards  the  robber.  Had  a  warrant 
of  arrest  been  received  from  London?  They  had  received 
nothing.  And,  in  fact,  the  warrant,  leaving  after  Fogg, 
could  not  have  arrived  yet. 

Fix  was  very  much  out  of  countenance.  He  wished  to 
obtain  from  the  Commissioner  an  order  for  the  arrest  of 
this  gentleman  Fogg.  The  director  refused.  The  affair 
concerned  the  metropolitan  government,  and  it  alone  could 
legally  deliver  a  warrant.  This  strictness  of  principles, 
this  rigorous  observance  of  legality  is  easily  explained  with 
the  English  manners,  which,  in  the  matter  of  personal  lib- 
erty, does  not  allow  anything  arbitrary.  Fix  did  not  per- 
sist, and  understood  that  he  would  have  to  be  resigned  to 
waiting  for  his  warrant.  But  he  resolved  not  to  lose  sight 
of  his  mysterious  rogue,  whilst  he  remained  in  Bombay. 
He  did  not  doubt  that  Phileas  Fogg  would  stop  there — and 
as  we  know,  it  was  also  Passepartout's  conviction — which 
would  give  the  warrant  of  arrest  time  to  arrive. 

But  after  the  last  orders  which  his  master  had  given  him 
on  leaving  the  Mongolia,  Passepartout  had  understood  very 
well  that  it  would  be  the  same  with  Bombay  as  with  Suez 
and  Paris,  that  the  journey  would  not  stop  here,  that  it 
would  be  continued  at  least  as  far  as  Calcutta,  and  perhaps 
further.  And  he  began  to  ask  himself  if,  after  all,  this  bet 
of  Mr.  Fogg's  was  not  really  serious,  and  if  a  fatality  was 
not  dragging  him,  he  who  wished  to  live  at  rest,  to  accom- 
plish the  tour  of  the  world  in  eighty  days !  Whilst  waiting, 
and  after  having  obtained  some  shirts  and  shoes,  he  took  a 
walk  through  the  streets  of  Bombay.  There  was  a  great 
crowd  of  people  there,  and  among  the  Europeans  of  all 

T.  Vn  V«rn« 


PASSEPARTOUT  LOSES  HIS  SHOES        193 

nationalities,  Persians  with  pointed  caps,  Bunyas  with  round 
turbans,  Sindes  with  square  caps,  Armenians  in  long  robes, 
Parsees  in  black  mitres.  A  festival  was  just  being  held 
by  the  Parsees,  the  direct  descendants  of  the  followers  of 
Zoroaster,  who  are  the  most  industrious,  the  most  civilized, 
the  most  intelligent,  the  most  austere  of  the  Hindoos — a 
race  to  which  now  belong  the  rich  native  merchants  of 
Bombay.  Upon  this  day  they  were  celebrating  a  sort  of 
religious  carnival,  with  processions  and  amusements,  in 
which  figured  dancing  girls  dressed  in  rose-colored  gauze 
embroidered  with  gold  and  silver,  who  danced  wonderfully 
and  with  perfect  decency  to  the  sound  of  viols  and  tam-tams. 

It  is  superfluous  to  insist  here  whether  Passepartout 
looked  at  these  curious  ceremonies,  whether  his  eyes  and 
ears  were  stretched  wide  open  to  see  and  hear,  whether  his 
entire  appearance  was  that  of  the  freshest  greenhorn  that 
can  be  imagined.  Unfortunately  for  himself  and  his  mas- 
ter, whose  journey  he  ran  the  risk  of  interrupting,  his  curi- 
osity dragged  him  further  than  was  proper. 

In  fact,  after  having  looked  at  this  Parsee  carnival,  Passe- 
partout turned  towards  the  station,  when,  passing  the  splen- 
did pagoda  on  Malebar  Hill,  he  took  the  unfortunate  notion 
to  visit  its  interior.  He  was  ignorant  of  two  things :  First, 
that  the  entrance  into  certain  Hindoo  pagodas  is  formally 
forbidden  to  Christians,  and  next,  that  the  believers  them- 
selves cannot  enter  there  without  having  left  their  shoes  at 
the  door.  It  must  be  remarked  here  that  the  English  gov- 
ernment, for  sound  political  reasons,  respecting  and  causing 
to  be  respected  in  its  most  insignificant  details  the  religion 
of  the  country,  punishes  severely  whoever  violates  its  prac- 
tices. Passepartout  having  gone  in,  without  thinking  of 
doing  wrong,  like  a  simple  traveler,  was  admiring  in  the  in- 
terior the  dazzling  glare  of  the  Brahmin  ornamentation, 
when  he  was  suddenly  thrown  down  on  the  sacred  floor. 
Three  priests,  with  furious  looks,  rushed  upon  him,  tore  off 
his  shoes  and  stockings,  and  commenced  to  beat  him,  utter- 
ing savage  cries.  The  Frenchman,  vigorous  and  agile,  rose 
again  quickly.  With  a  blow  of  his  fist  and  a  kick  he  upset 
two  of  his  adversaries,  very  much  hampered  by  their  long 
robes,  and  rushing  out  of  the  pagoda  with  all  the  quickness 
of  his  legs,  he  had  soon  distanced  the  third  Hindoo,  who 
had  followed  him  closely,  by  mingling  with  the  crowd. 


194      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

At  five  minutes  of  eight,  just  a  few  minutes  before  the 
leaving  of  the  train,  hatless  and  barefoot,  having  lost  in  the 
scuffle  the  bundle  containing  his  purchase,  Passepartout  ar- 
rived at  the  railway  station.  Fix  was  on  the  wharf.  Hav- 
ing followed  Mr.  Fogg  to  the  station,  he  understood  that 
the  rogue  was  going  to  leave  Bombay.  His  mind  was  im- 
mediately made  up  to  accompany  him  to  Calcutta,  and  fur- 
ther, if  it  was  necessary.  Passepartout  did  not  see  Fix,  who 
was  standing  in  a  dark  place,  but  Fix  heard  him  tell  his 
adventures  in  a  few  words  to  his  master. 

"  I  hope  it  will  not  happen  to  you  again,"  was  all  Phileas 
Fogg  replied,  taking  a  seat  in  one  of  the  cars  of  the  train. 
The  poor  fellow,  barefoot  and  quite  discomfited,  followed 
his  master  without  saying  a  word. 

Fix  was  going  to  get  in  another  car,  when  a  thought 
stopped  him,  and  suddenly  modified  his  plan  of  departure. 
"  No,  I  will  remain,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  A  transgression 
committed  upon  Indian  territory.     I  have  my  man." 

At  this  moment  the  locomotive  gave  a  vigorous  whistle, 
and  the  train  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN  WHICH  PHILEAS  FOGG  BUYS  A  CONVEYANCE  AT  A  FABU- 
LOUS PRICE 

The  train  had  started  on  time.  It  carried  a  certain  num- 
ber of  travelers,  some  officers,  civil  officials,  and  opium  and 
indigo  merchants,  whose  business  called  them  to  the  eastern 
part  of  the  peninsula. 

Passepartout  occupied  the  same  compartment  as  his  mas- 
ter. A  third  traveler  was  In  the  opposite  corner.  It  was 
the  Brigadier-General,  Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  one  of  the 
partners  of  Mr.  Fogg  during  the  trip  from  Suez  to  Bombay, 
who  was  rejoining  his  troops,  stationed  near  Benares. 

Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  tall,  fair,  about  fifty  years  old, 
who  had  distinguished  himself  highly  during  the  last  re- 
volt of  the  Sepoys,  truly  deserved  to  be  called  a  native. 
From  his  youth  he  had  lived  in  India,  and  had  only  been 
occasionally  in  the  country  of  his  birth.  He  was  a  well- 
posted  man,  who  would  have  been  glad  to  give  information 
as  to  the  manners,  the  history,  the  organization  of  this  In- 


PHILEAS    FOGG   BUYS   A   CONVEYANCE      195 

dian  country,  if  Phileas  Fogg  had  been  the  man  to  ask  for 
such  things.  But  this  gentleman  was  not  asking  anything. 
He  was  not  travehng,  he  was  describing  a  circumference. 
He  was  a  heavy  body,  traversing  an  orbit  around  the  ter- 
restrial globe,  according  to  the  laws  of  rational  mechanics. 
At  this  moment  he  was  going  over  in  his  mind  the  calcula- 
tions of  the  hours  consumed  since  his  departure  from 
London,  and  he  would  have  rubbed  his  hands,  if  it  had  been 
in  his  nature  to  make  a  useless  movement. 

Sir  Francis  Cromarty  had  recognized  the  originality  of 
his  traveling  companion,  although  he  had  only  studied  him 
with  his  cards  in  his  hands,  and  between  two  rubbers.  He 
was  ready  to  ask  whether  a  human  heart  beat  beneath  this 
cold  exterior,  vi'hether  Phileas  Fogg  had  a  soul  alive  to  the 
beauties  of  nature  and  to  moral  aspirations.  That  was  the 
question  for  him.  Of  all  the  oddities  the  general  had  met, 
none  were  to  be  compared  to  this  product  of  the  exact  sci- 
ences. Phileas  Fogg  had  not  kept  secret  from  Sir  Francis 
Cromarty  his  plan  for  a  tour  around  the  world,  nor  the  con- 
ditions under  which  he  was  carrying  it  out.  The  general 
saw  in  this  bet  only  an  eccentricity  without  a  useful  aim, 
and  which  was  wanting  necessarily  in  the  transire  benc- 
faciendo  which  ought  to  guide  every  reasonable  man.  In 
the  manner  in  which  this  singular  gentleman  was  moving  on, 
he  would  evidently  be  doing  nothing,  either  for  himself  or 
for  others. 

An  hour  after  having  left  Bombay,  the  train,  crossing 
the  viaducts,  had  left  behind  the  Island  of  Salcette  and 
reached  the  mainland.  At  the  station  Callyan,  k  left  to  the 
right  the  branch  which,  via  Kandallah  and  Pounah  descends 
towards  the  southeast  of  India,  and  reaches  the  station 
Panwell.  At  this  point,  it  became  entangled  in  the  defiles 
of  the  Western  Ghaut  mountains,  with  bases  of  trappe  and 
basalt,  whose  highest  summits  are  covered  with  thick  woods. 

From  time  to  time.  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  and  Phileas 
Fogg  exchanged  a  few  words,  and  at  this  moment  the  gen- 
eral, recommencing  a  conversation  which  frequently  lagged, 
said,  "  A  few  years  ago,  Mr.  Fogg,  you  would  have  experi- 
enced at  this  point  a  delay  which  would  have  probably  in- 
terrupted your  journey." 

"  Why  so,  Sir  Francis?  " 

"  Because  the  railway  stopped  at  the  base  of  these  moun- 


196      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

tains,  which  had  to  be  crossed  in  a  palanquin  or  on  a  pony's 
back  as  far  as  the  station  of  Kandallah,  on  the  opposite 
slope." 

"  That  delay  would  not  have  deranged  my  programme," 
replied  Mr.  Fogg.  "  I  would  have  foreseen  the  probability 
of  certain  obstacles." 

"  But,  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  the  general,  "  you  are  in  dan- 
ger of  having  a  bad  business  on  your  hands  with  this  young 
man's  adventure." 

Passepartout,  with  his  feet  wrapped  up  in  his  cloak,  was 
sleeping  soundly,  and  did  not  dream  that  they  were  talking 
about  him.  "  The  English  government  is  extremely  severe, 
and  rightly,  for  this  kind  of  trespass,"  continued  Sir  Fran- 
cis. "  It  insists,  above  all  things,  that  the  religious  customs 
of  the  Hindoos  shall  be  respected,  and  if  your  servant  had 
been  taken " 

"  Yes,  if  he  had  been  taken,  Sir  Francis,"  replied  Mr. 
Fogg,  "  he  would  have  been  sentenced,  he  would  have  under- 
gone his  punishment,  and  then  he  would  have  quietly  re- 
turned to  Europe.  I  do  not  see  how  this  matter  could  have 
delayed  his  master!" 

And,  thereupon,  the  conversation  stopped  again.  During 
the  night,  the  train  crossed  the  Ghauts,  passed  on  to  Nas- 
sik,  and  the  next  day,  the  21st  of  October,  it  was  hurrying 
across  a  comparatively  flat  country,  formed  by  the  Khan- 
deish  territory.  The  country,  well  cultivated,  was  strewn 
with  small  villages,  above  which  the  minaret  of  the  pagoda 
took  the  place  of  the  steeple  of  the  European  church.  Nu- 
merous small  streams,  principally  tributaries  of  the  Go- 
davery,  irrigated  this  fertile  country. 

Passepartout  having  waked  up,  looked  around,  and  could 
not  believe  that  he  was  crossing  the  country  of  the  Hindoos 
in  a  train  of  the  Great  Peninsular  Railway.  It  appeared 
improbable  to  him.  And  yet  there  was  nothing  more  real ! 
The  locomotive,  guided  by  the  arm  of  an  English  engineer 
and  heated  with  English  coal,  was  puffing  out  its  smoke  over 
plantations  of  cotton  trees,  coffee,  nutmeg,  clove,  and  red 
pepper.  The  steam  twisted  itself  into  spirals  about  groups 
of  palms,  between  which  appeared  picturesque  bungalows, 
a  few  viharis  (a  sort  of  abandoned  monasteries),  and  won- 
derful temples  enriched  by  the  inexhaustible  ornament  of 
Indian  architecture.       Then  immense  reaches  of  country 


PHILEAS   FOGG   BUYS   A   CONVEYANCE      197 

stretched  out  of  sight,  jungles,  in  which  were  not  wanting 
snakes  and  tigers  whom  the  noise  of  the  train  did  not 
frighten,  and  finally  forests  cut  through  by  the  route  of  the 
road,  still  the  haunts  of  elephants,  which,  with  a  pensive 
eye,  looked  at  the  train  as  it  passed  so  rapidly. 

During  the  morning,  beyond  the  station  of  Malligaum, 
the  travelers  traversed  that  fatal  territory,  which  was  so 
frequently  drenched  with  blood  by  the  sectaries  of  the  god- 
dess Kali.  Not  far  off  rose  Ellora  and  its  splendid  pa- 
godas, and  the  celebrated  Aurungabad,  the  capital  of  the 
ferocious  Aureng-Zeb,  now  simply  the  principal  place  of 
one  of  the  provinces  detached  from  the  kingdom  of  Nizam. 
It  was  over  this  country  that  Feringhea,  the  chief  of  the 
Thugs,  the  king  of  stranglers,  exercised  his  dominion. 
These  assassins,  united  in  an  association  that  could  not  be 
reached,  strangled,  in  honor  of  the  goddess  of  death,  vic- 
tims of  every  age,  without  ever  shedding  blood,  and  there 
was  a  time  when  the  ground  could  not  be  dug  up  anywhere 
in  this  neighborhood  without  finding  a  corpse.  The  Eng- 
lish government  has  been  able,  in  great  part,  to  prevent 
these  murders,  but  the  horrible  organization  exists  yet,  and 
carries  on  its  operations. 

At  half  past  twelve,  the  train  stopped  at  the  station  at 
Burhampour,  and  Passepartout  was  able  to  obtain  for  gold 
a  pair  of  Indian  slippers,  ornamented  with  false  pearls, 
which  he  put  on  with  an  evident  show  of  vanity.  The 
travelers  took  a  hasty  breakfast,  and  started  again  for  As- 
surghur,  after  having  for  a  moment  stopped  upon  the  shore 
of  the  Tapty,  a  small  river  emptying  into  the  Gulf  of  Cam- 
bay,  near  Surat. 

It  is  opportune  to  mention  the  thoughts  with  which  Passe- 
partout was  busied.  Until  his  arrival  at  Bombay,  he  had 
thought  that  matters  would  go  no  farther.  But  now  that 
he  was  hurrying  at  full  speed  across  India,  his  mind  had 
undergone  a  change.  His  natural  feelings  came  back  to 
him  with  a  rush.  He  felt  again  the  fanciful  ideas  of  his 
youth,  he  took  seriously  his  master's  plans,  he  believed  in 
the  reality  of  the  bet,  and  consequently  in  this  tour  of  the 
world,  and  in  this  maximum  of  time  which  could  not  be 
exceeded.  Already  he  was  disturbed  at  the  possible  delays, 
the  accidents  which  might  occur  upon  the  route.  He  felt 
interested  in  the  wager,  and  trembled  at  the  thought  that  he 


198      ROUND    THE    WORLD   IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

might  have  compromised  it  the  evening  before  by  his  un- 
pardonable foohshness,  so  that,  much  less  phlegmatic  than 
Mr.  Fogg,  he  was  much  more  uneasy.  He  counted  and 
recounted  the  days  that  had  passed,  cursed  the  stopping  of 
the  train,  accused  it  of  slowness,  and  blamed  Mr.  Fogg  in 
petto  for  not  having  promised  a  reward  to  the  engineer. 
The  good  fellow  did  not  know  that  what  was  possible  upon 
a  steamer  was  not  on  a  railway  train,  whose  speed  is  reg- 
ulated. 

Towards  evening  they  entered  the  defiles  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Sutpour,  which  separate  the  territory  of  Khandeish 
from  that  of  Bundelcund. 

The  next  day,  the  22nd  of  October,  Passepartout,  having 
consulted  his  watch,  rephed  to  a  question  of  Sir  Francis 
Cromarty  that  it  was  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  In  fact, 
this  famous  watch,  always  regulated  by  the  meridian  of 
Greenwich,  which  is  nearly  seventy-seven  degrees  west, 
ought  to  be  and  was  four  hours  slow. 

Sir  Francis  then  corrected  the  hour  given  by  Passepar- 
tout, and  added  the  same  remark  that  the  latter  had  already 
heard  from  Fix.  He  tried  to  make  him  understand  that 
he  ought  to  regulate  his  watch  on  each  new  meridian,  and 
that  since  he  was  constantly  going  towards  the  east,  that 
is,  in  the  face  of  the  sun,  the  days  were  shorter  by  as  many 
times  four  minutes  as  he  had  crossed  degrees.  It  was  use- 
less. Whether  the  stubborn  fellow  had  understood  the  re- 
marks of  the  general  or  not,  he  persisted  in  not  putting  his 
watch  ahead,  which  he  kept  always  at  London  time.  An 
innocent  madness  at  any  rate,  which  could  hurt  no  one. 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  fifteen  miles  be- 
fore they  reached  Rothal,  the  train  stopped  in  the  midst  of 
an  immense  opening,  on  the  edge  of  which  were  some  bun- 
galows and  workmen's  huts.  The  conductor  of  the  train 
passed  along  the  cars  calling  out,  "  The  passengers  will  get 
out  here ! " 

Phi  leas  Fogg  looked  at  Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  who  ap- 
peared not  to  understand  this  stop  in  the  midst  of  a  forest 
of  tamarinds  and  acacias.  Passepartout  not  less  surprised, 
rushed  onto  the  track  and  returned  almost  immediately, 
crying :  "  Monsieur,  no  more  railway !  " 

"What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Sir  Francis  Cromarty. 

"  I  mean  that  the  train  goes  no  farther ! " 


PHILEAS    FOGG   BUYS   A   CONVEYANCE      199 

The  brigadier  general  immediately  got  put  of  the  car. 
Phileas  Fogg,  in  no  hurry,  followed  him.  Both  spoke  to 
the  conductor. 

"Where  are  we?"  asked  Sir  Francis  Cromarty. 

"  At  the  hamlet  of  Kholby,"  replied  the  conductor. 

"We  stop  here?" 

"Without  doubt.     The  railway  is  not  finished " 

"How!     It  is  not  finished?" 

"  No !  There  is  still  a  section  of  fifty  miles  to  construct 
between  this  point  and  Allahabad,  where  the  track  com- 
mences again." 

"  But  the  papers  have  announced  the  opening  of  the  en- 
tire line." 

"  But,  general,  the  papers  were  mistaken." 

"  And  you  give  tickets  from  Bombay  to  Calcutta ! "  re- 
plied Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  who  was  beginning  to  be  ex- 
cited. 

"  Of  course,"  replied  the  conductor;  "but  travelers  know 
very  well  that  they  have  to  be  otherwise  transported  from 
Kholby  to  Allahabad." 

Sir  Franics  Cromarty  was  furious.  Passepartout  would 
have  willingly  knocked  the  conductor  down  who  could  not 
help  himself.     He  did  not  dare  look  at  his  master. 

"  Sir  Francis,"  said  Mr.  Fogg  simply,  "  we  will  go,  if 
you  will  be  kind  enough,  to  see  about  some  way  of  reach- 
ing Allahabad." 

"  Mr.  Fogg,  this  is  a  delay  absolutely  prejudicial  to  your 
interests ! " 

No,  Sir  Francis,  it  was  provided  for." 
What,  did  you  know  that  the  railway " 

"  By  no  means,  but  I  knew  that  some  obstacle  or  other 
would  occur  sooner  or  later  upon  my  route.  Now,  nothing 
is  interfered  with.  I  have  gained  two  days  which  I  can 
afford  to  lose.  A  steamer  leaves  Calcutta  for  Hong  Kong 
at  noon  on  the  25th.  This  is  only  the  23d,  and  we  shall 
arrive  at  Calcutta  in  time." 

Nothing  could  be  said  in  reply  to  such  complete  certainty 
as  this. 

It  was  only  too  true  that  the  finished  portion  of  the  rail- 
way stopped  at  this  point.  The  newspapers  are  like  certain 
watches  which  have  a  mania  for  getting  ahead  of  time,  and 
they  had  announced  the  finishing  of  the  line  prematurely. 


et 


200     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

The  most  of  the  passengers  knew  of  this  break  in  the  line, 
and  descending  from  the  train,  they  examined  the  vehicles 
of  all  sorts  in  the  village,  four-wheeled  palkigharis,  carts 
drawn  by  zebus,  a  sort  of  ox  with  humps,  traveling  cars  re- 
sembling walking  pagodas,  palanquins,  ponies,  etc.  Mr. 
Fogg  and  Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  after  having  hunted 
through  the  entire  village,  returned  without  having  found 
anything. 

"  I  shall  go  on  foot,"  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

Passepartout,  who  had  then  rejoined  his  master,  made  a 
significant  grimace,  looking  down  at  his  magnificent  but 
delicate  slippers.  Very  fortunately,  he  had  also  been  hunt- 
ing for  something,  and  hesitating  a  little,  he  said : 

"  Monsieur,  I  believe  I  have  found  a  means  of  convey- 
ance." 

"What?" 

"An  elephant,  belonging  to  an  Indian  living  a  hundred 
steps  from  here." 

"  Let  us  go  to  see  the  elephant,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  Five 
minutes  later,  Phileas  Fogg,  Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  and 
Passepartout  arrived  at  a  hut  which  was  against  an  en- 
closure of  high  palisades.  In  the  hut  there  was  an  Indian, 
and  in  the  enclosure  an  elephant.  Upon  their  demand,  the 
Indian  took  Mr.  Fogg  and  his  two  companions  into  the  en- 
closure. 

They  found  there  a  half-tamed  animal,  which  his  owner 
was  raising,  not  to  hire  out,  but  as  a  beast  of  combat.  To 
this  end  he  had  commenced  to  modify  the  naturally  mild 
character  of  the  animal  in  a  manner  to  lead  him  gradually 
to  that  paroxysm  of  rage  called  "  mutsh  "  in  the  Hindoo 
language,  and  that  by  feeding  him  for  three  months  with 
sugar  and  butter.  This  treatment  may  not  seem  the  proper 
one  to  obtain  such  a  result,  but  it  is  none  the  less  employed 
with  success  by  their  keepers. 

Kiouni,  the  animal's  name,  could,  like  all  his  fellows,  go 
rapidly  on  a  long  march,  and  in  default  of  other  conveyance, 
Phileas  Fogg  determined  to  employ  him.  But  elephants 
are  very  expensive  in  India,  where  they  are  beginning  to 
get  scarce.  The  males,  which  alone  are  fit  for  circus  feats, 
are  very  much  sought  for.  These  animals  are  rarely  repro- 
duced when  they  are  reduced  to  the  tame  state,  so  that  they 
can  be  obtained  only  by  hunting.     So  they  are  the  object 


PHILEAS   FOGG   BUYS   'N  CONVEYANCE      201 

of  extreme  care,  and  when  Mr  Fogg  asked  the  Indian  if  he 
would  hire  him  his  elephant  he  flatly  refused. 

Fogg  persisted  and  offered  an  excessive  price  for  the  ani- 
mal, ten  pounds  per  hour.  Refused.  Twenty  pounds. 
Still  refused.  Forty  pounds.  Refused  again.  Passepar- 
tout jumped  at  every  advance  in  price.  But  the  Indian 
would  not  be  tempted.  The  sum  was  a  handsome  one, 
however.  Admitting  the  elephant  to  be  employed  fifteen 
hours  to  reach  Allahabad,  it  was  six  hundred  pounds  earned 
for  his  owner. 

Phileas  Fogg,  without  being  at  all  excited,  proposed  then 
to  the  Indian  to  buy  his  animal,  and  offered  him  at  first 
one  thousand  pounds.  The  Indian  would  not  sell!  Per- 
haps the  rogue  scented  a  large  transaction. 

Sir  Francis  Cromarty  took  Mr.  Fogg  aside  and  begged 
him  to  reflect  before  going  further.  Phileas  Fogg  replied 
to  his  companion  that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  acting  with- 
out reflection,  that  a  bet  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  was  at 
stake,  that  this  elephant  was  necessary  to  him,  and  that, 
should  he  pay  twenty  times  his  value,  he  would  have  this 
elephant. 

Mr.  Fogg  went  again  for  the  Indian,  whose  small  eyes, 
lit  up  with  greed,  showed  that  with  him  it  was  only  a  ques- 
tion of  price.  Phileas  Fogg  offered  successively  twelve 
hundred,  fifteen  hundred,  eighteen  hundred,  and  finally  two 
thousand  pounds.  Passepartout,  so  rosy  oridnarily,  was 
pale  with  emotion. 

At  two  thousand  pounds  the  Indian  gave  up. 

*'  By  my  slippers,"  cried  Passepartout,  "  here  is  a  mag- 
nificent price  for  elephant  meat !  " 

The  business  concluded,  all  that  was  necessary  was  to 
find  a  guide.  That  was  easier.  A  young  Parsee,  with  an 
intelligent  face,  offered  his  services.  Mr.  Fogg  accepted 
him,  and  offered  him  a  large  reward  to  sharpen  his  wits. 
The  elephant  was  brought  out  and  equipped  without  delay. 
The  Parsee  understood  perfectly  the  business  of  "  mahout," 
or  elephant  driver.  He  covered  with  a  sort  of  saddle  cloth 
the  back  of  the  elephant,  and  put  on  each  flank  two  kinds  of 
rather  uncomfortable  howdahs. 

Phileas  Fogg  paid  the  Indian  in  bank  notes  taken  from 
the  famous  carpet  bag.  It  seemed  as  if  they  were  taken 
from  Passepartout's  very  vitals.     Then  Mr.  Fogg  offered 


202      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

to  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  to  convey  him  to  Allahabad.  The 
general  accepted;  one  passenger  more  was  not  enough  to 
tire  this  enormous  animal.  Some  provisions  were  bought 
at  Kholby.  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  took  a  seat  in  one  of  the 
howdahs,  Phileas  Fogg  in  the  other.  Passepartout  got 
astride  the  animal,  between  his  master  and  the  brigadier 
general.  The  Parsee  perched  upon  the  elephant's  neck,  and 
at  nine  o'clock  the  animal,  leaving  the  village,  penetrated  the 
thick  forest  of  palm  trees. 


CHAPTER  XII 

IN   WHICH   PHILEAS   FOGG  AND   HIS   COMPANIONS  VENTURE 
THROUGH  THE  FORESTS  OF  INDIA,  AND  WHAT  FOLLOWS 

The  guide,  in  order  to  shorten  the  distance  to  be  gone 
over,  left  to  his  right  the  line  of  the  road,  the  construction 
of  which  was  still  in  process.  This  line,  very  crooked, 
owing  to  the  capricious  ramifications  of  the  Vindhia  moun- 
tains, did  not  follow  the  shortest  route,  which  it  was  Phileas 
Fogg's  interest  to  take.  The  Parsee,  very  familiar  with 
the  roads  and  paths  of  the  country,  thought  to  gain  twenty 
miles  by  cutting  through  the  forest,  and  they  submitted 
to  him. 

Phileas  Fogg  and  Sir  Francis  Cromarty,  plunged  to  their 
necks  in  their  howdahs,  were  much  shaken  up  by  the  rough 
trot  of  the  elephant,  whom  his  mahout  urged  into  a  rapid 
gait.  But  they  bore  it  with  the  peculiar  British  apathy, 
talking  very  little,  and  scarcely  seeing  each  other. 

As  for  Passepartout,  perched  upon  the  animal's  back, 
and  directly  subjected  to  the  swaying  from  side  to  side,  he 
took  care,  upon  his  master's  recommendation,  not  to  keep 
his  tongue  between  his  teeth,  as  it  would  have  been  cut 
short  off.  The  good  fellow,  at  one  time  thrown  forward 
on  the  elephant's  neck,  at  another  thrown  back  upon  his 
rump,  was  making  leaps  like  a  clown  on  a  spring-board. 
But  he  joked  and  laughed  in  the  midst  of  his  somersaults, 
and  from  time  to  time  he  would  take  from  his  bag  a  lump 
of  sugar,  which  the  intelligent  Kiouni  took  with  the  end 
of  his  trunk,  without  interrupting  for  an  instant  his  reg- 
ular trot. 

After  two  hours'  march  the  guide  stopped  the  elephant 


THROUGH   THE   FORESTS    OF   INDIA-      203 

and  gave  him  an  hour's  rest.  The  animal  devoured 
branches  of  trees  and  shrubs,  first  having  quenched  his 
thirst  at  a  neighboring  pond.  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  did 
not  complain  of  this  halt.  He  was  worn  out.  Mr.  Fogg 
appeared  as  if  he  had  just  got  out  of  bed. 

"But  he  is  made  of  iron!"  said  the  brigadier  general, 
looking  at  him  with  admiration. 

"Of  wrought  iron,"  replied  Passepartout,  who  was  busy- 
preparing  a  hasty  breakfast. 

At  noon,  the  guide  gave  the  signal  for  starting.  The 
country  soon  assumed  a  very  wild  aspect.  To  the  large 
forests  there  succeeded  copses  of  tamarinds  and  dwarf 
palms,  then  vast,  arid  plains,  bristling  with  scanty  shrubs, 
and  strewn  with  large  blocks  of  syenites.  All  this  part  of 
upper  Bundelcund,  very  little  visited  by  travelers,  is  in- 
habited by  a  fanatical  population,  hardened  in  the  most  ter- 
rible practices  of  the  Hindoo  religion.  The  government  of 
the  English  could  not  have  been  regularly  established  over 
a  territory  subject  to  the  influence  of  the  rajahs,  whom  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  reach  in  their  inaccessible  re- 
treats in  the  Vindhias. 

They  were  descending  the  last  declivities  of  the  Vindhias. 
Kiouni  had  resumed  his  rapid  gait.  Towards  noon,  the 
guide  went  round  the  village  of  Kallenger,  situated  on  the 
Cani,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Ganges.  He  always 
avoided  inhabited  places,  feeling  himself  safer  in  those 
desert,  open  stretches  of  country  which  mark  the  first  de- 
pressions of  the  basin  of  the  great  river.  Allahabad  was 
not  twelve  miles  to  the  northeast.  Halt  was  made  under 
a  clump  of  banana  trees,  whose  fruit,  as  healthy  as  bread, 
"  as  succulent  as  cream,"  travelers  say,  was  very  much  ap- 
preciated. 

At  two  o'clock,  the  guide  entered  the  shelter  of  a  thick 
forest,  which  he  had  to  traverse  for  a  space  of  several  miles. 
He  preferred  to  travel  thus  under  cover  of  the  woods.  At 
all  events,  up  to  this  moment  there  had  been  no  unpleasant 
meeting,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  journey  would  be  accom- 
plished without  accident,  when  the  elephant,  showing  some 
signs  of  uneasiness,  suddenly  stopped. 

It  was  then  four  o'clock. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Sir  Francis  Cromarty, 
raising  his  head  above  his  howdah. 


204     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 


a 


I  do  not  know,  officer,"  replied  the  Parsee,  listening  to 
a  confused  murmur  which  came  through  the  thick  branches. 

A  few  moments  after,  this  murmur  became  more  defined. 
It  might  have  been  called  a  concert,  still  very  distant,  of 
human  voices  and  brass  instruments. 

Passepartout  was  all  eyes,  all  ears.  Mr.  Fogg  waited 
patiently,  without  uttering  a  word. 

The  Parsee  jumped  down,  fastened  the  elephant  to  a 
tree,  and  plunged  into  the  thickest  of  the  undergrowth.  A 
few  minutes  later  he  returned,  saying: 

"A  Brahmin  procession  is  coming  this  way.  If  it  is 
possible,  let  us  avoid  being  seen." 

The  guide  unfastened  the  elephant,  and  led  him  into  a 
thicket,  recommending  the  travelers  not  to  descend.  He 
held  himself  ready  to  mount  the  elephant  quickly,  should 
flight  become  necessary.  But  he  thought  that  the  troop  of 
the  faithful  would  pass  without  noticing  him,  for  the  thick- 
ness of  the  foliage  entirely  concealed  him. 

The  discordant  noise  of  voices  and  instruments  ap- 
proached. Monotonous  chants  were  mingled  with  the 
sound  of  the  drums  and  cymbals.  Soon  the  head  of  the 
procession  appeared  from  under  the  trees,  at  fifty  paces 
from  the  spot  occupied  by  Mr.  Fogg  and  his  companions. 
Through  the  branches  they  readily  distinguished  the  curious 
personnel  of  this  religious  ceremony. 

In  the  first  line  were  the  priests,  with  miters  upon  their 
heads  and  attired  in  long  robes  adorned  with  gold  and  silver 
lace.  They  were  surrounded  by  men,  women,  and  children, 
who  were  singing  a  sort  of  funeral  psalmody,  interrupted 
at  regular  intervals  by  the  beating  of  tam-tams  and  cymbals. 
Behind  them  on  a  car  with  large  wheels,  whose  spokes  and 
felloes  represented  serpents  intertwined,  appeared  a  hideous 
statue,  drawn  by  two  pairs  of  richly  caparisoned  zebus. 
This  statue  had  four  arms,  its  body  colored  with  dark  red, 
its  eyes  haggard,  its  hair  tangled,  its  tongue  hanging  out, 
its  lips  colored  with  henna  and  betel.  Its  neck  was  encir- 
cled by  a  collar  of  skulls,  around  its  waist  a  girdle  of  human 
hands.  It  was  erect  upon  a  prostrate  giant,  whose  head 
was  missing. 

Sir  Francis  Cromarty  recognized  this  statue. 

"The  goddess  Kali,"  he  murmured;  "the  goddess  of 
love  and  death." 


THROUGH   THE   FORESTS   OF   INDIA      205 

"Of  death,  I  grant,  but  of  love,  never! "  said  Passepar- 
tout.    "  The  ugly  old  woman !  " 

The  Parsee  made  him  a  sign  to  keep  quiet. 

Around  the  statue  there  was  a  group  of  old  fakirs  jump- 
ing and  tossing  themselves  about  convulsively.  Smeared 
v^rith  bands  of  ochre,  covered  with  cross-like  cuts,  whence 
their  blood  escaped  drop  by  drop — stupid  fanatics,  who,  in 
the  great  Hindoo  ceremonies,  precipitated  themselves  under 
the  wheels  of  the  car  of  Juggernaut. 

Behind  them,  some  Brahmins  in  all  the  magnificence  of 
their  Oriental  costume,  were  dragging  a  woman  who  could 
hardly  hold  herself  erect. 

This  woman  was  young,  and  as  fair  as  a  European.  Her 
head,  her  neck,  her  shoulders,  her  ears,  her  arms,  her  hands, 
and  her  toes  were  loaded  down  with  jewels,  necklaces,  brace- 
lets, earrings,  and  finger  rings.  A  tunic,  embroidered  with 
gold,  covered  with  a  light  muslin,  displayed  the  outlines  of 
her  form. 

Behind  this  young  woman — a  violent  contrast  for  the 
eyes — were  guards,  armed  with  naked  sabers  fastened  to 
their  girdles  and  long  damaskeened  pistols,  carrying  a  corpse 
upon  a  palanquin. 

It  was  the  body  of  an  old  man,  dressed  in  the  rich  gar- 
ments of  a  rajah,  having,  as  in  life,  his  turban  embroidered 
with  pearls,  his  robe  woven  of  silk  and  gold,  his  sash  of 
cashmere  ornamented  with  diamonds,  and  his  magnificent 
arms  as  an  Indian  prince. 

Then,  musicians  and  a  rear  guard  of  fanatics,  whose  cries 
sometimes  drowned  the  deafening  noise  of  the  instruments, 
closed  up  the  cortege. 

Sir  Francis  Cromarty  looked  at  all  this  pomp  with  a  sin- 
gularly sad  air,  and  turning  to  the  guide,  he  said :  "  A 
suttee?" 

The  Parsee  made  an  affirmative  sign  and  put  his  fingers 
on  his  lips.  The  long  procession  slowly  came  out  from  the 
trees,  and  soon  the  last  of  it  disappeared  in  the  depths  of 
the  forest. 

Little  by  little  the  chanting  died  out.  There  were  still 
the  sounds  of  distant  cries,  and  finally  a  profound  silence. 

Phileas  Fogg  had  heard  the  word  uttered  by  Sir  Francis 
Cromarty,  and  as  soon  as  the  procession  had  disappeared,  he 
asked,  "  What  is  a  suttee?  " 


2o6      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

"  A  suttee,  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  the  brigadier  general,  "  is 
a  human  sacrifice,  but  a  voluntary  sacrifice.  The  woman 
that  you  have  just  seen  will  be  burned  to-morrow  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day." 

"  Oh,  the  villains ! "  cried  Passepartout,  who  could  not 
prevent  this  cry  of  indignation. 

"  And  this  corpse  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  It  is  that  of  the  prince,  her  husband,"  replied  the  guide, 
"  an  independent  rajah  of  Bundelcund." 

"  How,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  without  his  voice  betray- 
ing the  least  emotion,  "  do  these  barbarous  customs  still 
exist  in  India,  and  have  not  the  English  been  able  to  extir- 
pate them?  " 

"  In  the  largest  part  of  India,"  replied  Sir  Francis  Cro- 
marty, "  these  sacrifices  do  not  come  to  pass ;  but  we  have 
no  influence  over  these  wild  countries,  and  particularly  over 
this  territory  of  Bundelcund.  All  the  northern  slope  of 
the  Vindhias  is  the  scene  of  murders  and  incessant  rob- 
beries." 

"  The  unfortunate  v^roman,"  murmured  Passepartout, 
"  burned  alive !  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  general,  "  burned,  and  if  she  was  not 
you  would  not  believe  to  what  a  miserable  condition  she 
would  be  reduced  by  her  near  relatives.  They  would  shave 
her  hair;  they  would  scarcely  feed  her  with  a  few  handfuls 
of  rice;  they  would  repulse  her;  she  would  be  considered  as 
an  unclean  creature,  and  would  die  in  some  corner  like  a 
sick  dog.  So  that  the  prospect  of  this  frightful  existence 
frequently  drives  these  unfortunates  to  the  sacrifice  much 
more  than  love  or  religious  fanaticism.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, the  sacrifice  is  really  voluntary  and  the  energetic  in- 
tervention of  the  government  is  necessary  to  prevent  it. 
Some  years  ago,  I  was  living  at  Bombay,  when  a  young 
widow  came  to  the  governor  to  ask  his  authority  for  her  to 
be  burned  with  the  body  of  her  husband.  As  you  may  think, 
the  governor  refused.  Then  the  w'idow  left  the  city,  took 
refuge  with  an  independent  rajah,  and  there  she  accom- 
plished the  sacrifice." 

During  the  narrative  of  the  general,  the  guide  shook  his 
head,  and  when  he  was  through,  said :  "  The  sacrifice  which 
takes  place  to-morrow  is  not  voluntary." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 


THROUGH  THE  FORESTS  OF  INDIA        207 

"It  is  a  story  which  everybody  in  Bundelcund  knows," 
replied  the  guide. 

"  But  this  unfortunate  did  not  seem  to  make  any  re- 
sistance," remarked  Sir  Francis  Cromarty. 

"  Because  she  was  intoxicated  with  the  fumes  of  hemp 
and  opium." 

"  But  where  are  they  taking  her?  " 

"  To  the  pagoda  of  Pillaji,  two  miles  from  here.  There 
she  will  pass  the  night  in  waiting  for  the  sacrifice." 

"  And  this  sacrifice  will  take  place ?  " 

"  At  the  first  appearance  of  day." 

After  this  answer,  the  guide  brought  the  elephant  out  of 
the  dense  thicket,  and  jumped  on  his  neck.  But  at  the 
moment  that  he  was  going  to  start  him  off  by  a  peculiar 
whistle,  Mr.  Fogg  stopped  him  and  addressing  Sir  Francis 
Cromarty,  said :  "  If  we  could  save  this  woman !  " 

"  Save  this  woman,  Mr.  Fogg !  "  cried  the  brigadier  gen- 
eral. 

"  I  have  still  twelve  hours  to  spare.  I  can  devote  them 
to  her." 

"  Why,  you  are  a  man  of  heart !  "  said  Sir  Francis  Cro- 
marty. 

"  Sometimes,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg  simply,  "  when  I 
have  time," 

CHATTER  XIII 

IN    WHICH    PASSEPARTOUT    PROVES    AGAIN    THAT    FORTUNE 
SMILES  UPON   THE  BOLD 

The  design  was  bold,  full  of  difficulties,  perhaps  imprac- 
ticable. Mr.  Fogg  was  going  to  risk  his  life,  or  at  least  his 
liberty,  and  consequently  the  success  of  his  plans,  but  he  did 
not  hesitate.  He  found,  besides,  a  decided  ally  in  Sir 
Francis  Cromarty.  As  to  Passepartout,  he  was  ready  and 
could  be  depended  upon.  His  master's  idea  excited  him. 
He  felt  that  there  was  a  heart  and  soul  under  this  icy  cover- 
ing.    He  almost  loved  Phileas  Fogg. 

Then  there  was  the  guide.  What  part  would  he  take  in 
the  matter?  Would  he  not  be  with  the  Indians?  In  de- 
fault of  his  aid,  it  was  at  least  necessary  to  be  sure  of  his 
neutrality.  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  put  the  question  to  him 
frankly. 


2o8      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

"  Officer,"  replied  the  guide,  "  I  am  a  Parsee,  and  that 
women  is  a  Parsee.     Make  use  of  me." 

"  Very  well,  guide,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  However,  do  you  know,"  replied  the  Parsee,  "  that  we 
not  only  risk  our  lives,  but  horrible  punishments  if  we  are 
taken.     So  see." 

"  That  is  seen,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  **  I  think  that  we  shall 
have  to  wait  for  night  to  act?  " 

"  I  think  so  too,"  replied  the  guide.  The  brave  Hindoo 
then  gave  some  details  as  to  the  victim.  She  was  an  Indian 
of  celebrated  beauty,  of  the  Parsee  race,  the  daughter  of  a 
rich  merchant  of  Bombay.  She  had  received  in  that  city 
an  absolutely  English  education,  and  from  her  manners  and 
cultivation  she  would  have  been  thought  a  European.  Her 
name  was  Aouda. 

An  orphan,  she  was  married  against  her  will  to  this  old 
rajah  of  Bundelcund.  Three  months  after  she  was  a 
widow.  Knowing  the  fate  that  awaited  her,  she  fled,  was 
retaken  immediately,  and  the  relatives  of  the  rajah,  who  had 
an  interest  in  her  death,  devoted  her  to  this  sacrifice  from 
which  it  seemed  that  she  could  not  escape. 

This  narrative  could  only  strengthen  Mr.  Fogg  and  his 
companions  in  their  generous  resolution.  It  was  decided 
that  the  guide  should  turn  the  elephant  towards  the  pagoda 
of  Pillaji,  which  he  should  approach  as  near  as  possible.  A 
half  hour  afterwards  a  halt  was  made  under  a  thick  clump 
of  trees,  five  hundred  paces  from  the  pagoda,  which  they 
could  not  see,  but  they  heard  distinctly  the  yellings  of  the 
fanatics. 

The  means  of  reaching  the  victim  were  then  discussed. 
The  guide  was  acquainted  with  the  pagoda,  in  which  he 
asserted  that  the  young  woman  was  imprisoned.  Could 
they  enter  by  one  of  the  doors,  when  the  whole  band  was 
plunged  in  the  sleep  of  drunkenness,  or  would  they  have  to 
make  a  hole  through  the  wall?  This  could  be  decided  only 
at  the  moment  and  the  place.  But  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  the  abduction  must  be  accomplished  this  very  night,  and 
not  when,  daylight  arrived,  the  victim  would  be  led  to  the 
sacrifice.     Then  no  human  intervention  could  save  her. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  his  companions  waited  for  night.  As  soon 
as  the  shadows  fell,  towards  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  they 
determined  to  make  a  reconnoissance  around  the  pagoda. 

V.  VU  V«rn« 


FORTUNE    SMILES    UPON    THE    BOLD      209 

The  last  cries  of  the  fakirs  had  died  out.  According  to  their 
customs,  these  Indians  were  plunged  in  the  heavy  intoxi- 
cation of  "  hang,"  liquid  opium  mixed  with  an  infusion  of 
hemp,  and  it  would  perhaps  be  possible  to  slip  in  between 
them  to  the  temple. 

The  Parsee  guiding,  Mr.  Fogg,  Sir  Francis  Cromarty, 
and  Passepartout  advanced  noiselessly  through  the  forest. 
After  ten  minutes'  creeping  under  the  branches,  they  arrived 
on  the  edge  of  a  small  river,  and  there  by  the  light  of  iron 
torches  at  the  end  of  which  was  burning  pitch,  they  saw  a 
pile  of  wood;  It  was  the  funeral  pile,  made  of  costly  sandal 
wood,  and  already  saturated  with  perfumed  oil.  On  its 
upper  part  the  embalmed  body  of  the  rajah  was  resting, 
which  was  to  be  burned  at  the  same  time  as  his  widow.  At 
one  hundred  paces  from  this  pile  rose  the  pagoda  whose 
minarets  in  the  darkness  pierced  the  tops  of  the  trees. 
"  Come ! "  said  the  guide  in  a  low  voice. 

Soon  the  guide  stopped  at  the  end  of  a  clearing,  lit  up 
by  a  few  torches.  The  ground  was  covered  with  groups 
of  sleepers,  heavy  with  drunkenness. 

In  the  background,  among  the  trees,  the  temple  of  Pillaji 
stood  out  indistinctly.  But  to  the  great  disappointment  of 
the  guide,  the  guards  of  the  rajahs  lighted  by  smoky  torches, 
were  watching  at  the  doors,  and  pacing  up  and  down  with 
drawn  sabers.  Phileas  Fogg  and  Sir  Francis  Cromarty 
understood  as  well  as  himself  that  they  could  attempt  noth- 
ing on  this  side.  They  stopped  and  talked  together  in  a 
low  tone. 

"  Let  us  wait,"  said  the  brigadier  general,  "  it  is  not  eight 
o'clock  yet,  and  it  is  possible  that  these  guards  may  suc- 
cumb to  sleep." 

"  That  is  possible,  indeed,"  replied  the  Parsee. 

Phileas  Fogg  and  his  companions  stretched  themselves 
out  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  and  waited.  They  waited  thus 
until  midnight.  The  situation  did  not  change.  The  same 
watching  outside.  It  was  evident  that  they  could  not  count 
on  the  drowsiness  of  the  guards. 

After  a  final  conversation,  the  guide  said  he  was  ready  to 
start.  Mr.  Fogg,  Sir  Francis,  and  Passepartout  followed 
him.  They  made  a  pretty  long  detour,  so  as  to  reach  the 
pagoda  by  the  rear.  About  a  half  hour  past  midnight  they 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  walls. 


210      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

f        .  ' 

But  it  was  not  sufficient  to  reach  the  foot  of  the  walls,  it 
was  necessary  to  make  an  opening  there.  For  this  operation 
Phileas  Fogg  and  his  companions  had  nothing  at  all  but  their 
pocket-knives.  Fortunately,  the  temple  walls  were  com- 
posed of  a  mixture  of  bricks  and  wood,  which  could  not  be 
difficult  to  make  a  hole  through.  The  first  brick  once  taken 
out,  the  others  would  easily  follow.  They  went  at  it,  mak- 
ing as  little  noise  as  possible.  The  Parsee,  from  one  side, 
and  Passepartout,  from  the  other,  worked  to  unfasten  the 
bricks,  so  as  to  get  an  opening  two  feet  wide. 

The  work  was  progressing,  but — unfortunate  mischance — 
some  guards  showed  themselves  at  the  rear  of  the  pagoda, 
and  established  themselves  there  so  as  to  hinder  an  approach. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  disappointment  of 
these  four  men,  stopped  in  their  work.  "  What  can  we  do 
but  leave?  "  asked  the  general  in  a  low  voice. 

"  We  can  only  leave,"  replied  the  guide. 

"  Wait,"  said  Fogg.  "  It  will  do  if  I  reach  Allahabad 
to-morrow  before  noon." 

"  But  what  hope  have  you  ?  "  replied  Sir  Francis  Cro- 
marty.    "  It  will  soon  be  daylight,  and " 

"  The  chances  which  escape  us  now^  may  return  at  the 
last  moment." 

The  general  would  have  liked  to  read  Phileas  Fogg's  eyes. 
What  was  this  cold-blooded  Englishman  counting  on? 
Would  he,  at  the  moment  of  the  sacrifice,  rush  towards  the 
young  woman,  and  openly  tear  her  from  her  murderers? 

That  would  have  been  madness,  and  how  could  it  be  ad- 
mitted that  this  man  was  mad  to  this  degree?  Neverthe- 
less, Sir  Francis  Cromarty  consented  to  wait  until  the  de- 
nouement of  this  terrible  scene.  The  guide  did  not  leave 
his  companions  at  the  spot  where  they  had  hid,  but  took 
them  back  to  the  foreground  of  the  clearing.  There, 
sheltered  by  a  clump  of  trees,  they  could  watch  the  sleeping 
groups. 

In  the  meantime  Passepartout,  perched  upon  the  lower 
branches  of  a  tree,  was  meditating  an  idea  which  had  first 
crossed  his  mind  like  a  flash,  and  which  finally  imbedded  it- 
self in  his  brain.  He  had  commenced  by  saying  to  himself, 
"What  madness!"  and  now  he  repeated,  "Why  not,  after 
all?  It  is  a  chance,  perhaps  the  only  one,  and  with  such 
brutes " 


FORTUNE    SMILES   UPON    THE   BOLD      211 

At  all  events,  Passepartout  did  not  put  his  thought  into 
any  other  shape,  but  he  was  not  slow  in  sliding  down,  with 
the  ease  of  a  snake,  on  the  lower  branches  of  the  tree,  the 
end  of  which  bent  toward  the  ground. 

The  hours  were  passing,  and  soon  a  few  less  somber 
shades  announced  the  approach  of  day.  It  was  like  a 
resurrection  in  this  slumbering  crowd.  The  groups  wak- 
ened up.  The  beating  of  tam-tams  sounded,  songs  and 
cries  burst  out  anew.  The  hour  had  come  in  which  the  un- 
fortunate was  to  die. 

The  doors  of  the  pagoda  were  now  opened.  A  more  in- 
tense light  came  from  the  interior.  Mr.  Fogg  and  Sir 
Francis  could  see  the  victim,  all  lighted  up,  whom  two 
priests  were  dragging  to  the  outside.  It  seemed  to  them 
that,  shaking  off  the  drowsiness  of  intoxication  by  the  high- 
est instinct  of  self-preservation,  the  unfortunate  woman  was 
trying  to  escape^  from  her  executioners.  Sir  Francis's  heart 
throbbed  violently,  and  with  a  convulsive  movement  seizing 
Phileas  Fogg's  hand,  he  felt  that  it  held  an  open  knife. 

The  young  woman  had  fallen  again  into  the  stupor  pro- 
duced by  the  fumes  of  the  hemp.  She  passed  between  the 
fakirs,  who  escorted  her  with  their  religious  cries.  Phileas 
Fogg  and  his  companions  followed  her,  mingling  with  the 
rear  ranks  of  the  crowd. 

Two  minutes  after,  they  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  river, 
and  stopped  less  than  fifty  paces  from  the  funeral  pile,  upon 
which  was  lying  the  rajah's  body.  In  the  semi-obscurity, 
they  saw  the  victim,  motionless,  stretched  near  her  hus- 
band's corpse.  Then  a  torch  was  brought,  and  the  wood, 
impregnated  with  oil,  soon  took  fire. 

At  this  moment.  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  and  the  guide  held 
back  Phileas  Fogg,  who  in  an  impulse  of  generous  madness, 
was  going  to  rush  toward  the  pile. 

But  Phileas  Fogg  had  already  pushed  them  back,  when  the 
scene  changed  suddenly.  A  cry  of  terror  arose.  The 
whole  crowd,  frightened,  cast  themselves  upon  the  ground. 

The  old  rajah  was  not  dead,  then;  he  was  seen  suddenly 
rising  upright,  like  a  phantom,  raising  the  young  woman  in 
his  arms,  descending  from  the  pile  in  the  midst  of  the  clouds 
of  smoke  which  gave  him  a  spectral  appearance. 

The  fakirs,  the  priests,  overwhelmed  with  a  sudden  fear, 
were  prostrate,  their  faces  to  the  ground,  not  daring  to  raise 


212      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

their  eyes,  and  look  at  such  a  miracle!  The  inanimate  vic- 
tim was  held  by  the  vigorous  arms  carrying  her,  without 
seeming  to  be  much  of  a  weight.  Mr.  Fogg  and  Sir  Francis 
had  remained  standing.  The  Parsee  had  bowed  his  head, 
and  Passepartout,  without  doubt,  was  not  less  stupefied. 

The  resuscitated  man  came  near  the  spot  where  Mr,  Fogg 
and  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  were,  and  said  shortly,  "  Let  us 
be  off!" 

It  was  Passepartout  himself  who  had  slipped  to  the  pile 
in  the  midst  of  the  thick  smoke!  It  was  Passepartout  who, 
profiting  by  the  great  darkness  still  prevailing,  had  rescued 
the  young  woman  from  death !  It  was  Passepartout  who, 
playing  his  part  with  the  boldest  good-luck,  passed  out  in  the 
midst  of  the  general  fright! 

An  instant  after  the  four  disappeared  in  the  woods,  and 
the  elephant  took  them  onwards  with  a  rapid  trot.  Cries, 
shouts,  and  even  a  bullet,  piercing  Phileas  Fogg's  hat,  ap- 
prised them  that  the  stratagem  had  been  discovered. 

Indeed,  on  the  burning  pile  still  lay  the  body  of  the  old 
rajah.  The  priests,  recovered  from  their  fright,  learned 
that  the  abduction  had  taken  place.  They  immediately 
rushed  into  the  forest.  The  guards  followed  them.  Shots 
were  fired ;  but  the  abductors  fled  rapidly,  and,  in  a  few  mo- 
ments they  were  put  of  range  of  balls  or  arrows. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

IN   WHICH   PHILEAS  FOGG  DESCENDS  THE  ENTIRE  SPLENDID 

VALLEY  OF  THE  GANGES  WITHOUT  EVER  THINKING 

OF  LOOKING  AT  IT 

The  bold  abduction  had  succeeded.  An  hour  after  Passe- 
partout was  still  laughing  at  his  success.  Sir  Francis  Cro- 
marty grasped  the  hand  of  the  brave  fellow.  His  master 
said  to  him,  "  Good,"  which  in  that  gentleman's  mouth  was 
equivalent  to  high  praise.  To  which  Passepartout  replied 
that  all  the  honor  of  the  affair  belonged  to  his  master.  As 
for  himself  he  had  only  had  a  "  droll  "  idea,  and  he  laughed 
in  thinking  that  for  a  few  moments  he,  Passepartout,  the 
former  gymnast,  the  ex-sergeant  of  firemen,  had  been  the 
widower  of  a  charming  woman,  an  old  embalmed  rajah! 

As  for  the  young  Indian  wadow,  she  had  no  knowledge  of 


THE   VALLEY   OF   THE   GANGES         213 

what  had  passed.  Wrapped  up  in  traveling  cloaks,  she  was 
resting  in  one  of  the  howdahs. 

Meanwhile  the  elephant,  guided  with  the  greatest  cer- 
tainty by  the  Parsee,  moved  on  rapidly  through  the  still  dark 
forest.  One  hour  after  having  left  the  pagoda  of  Pillaji, 
he  shot  across  an  immense  plain.  At  seven  o'clock  they 
halted.  The  young  woman  was  still  in  a  state  of  complete 
prostration.  The  guide  made  her  drink  a  few  swallows  of 
water  and  brandy,  but  the  stupefying  influence  which  over- 
whelmed her  continued  for  some  time  longer.  Sir  Francis 
Cromarty,  who  knew  the  effects  of  intoxication  produced  by 
inhalation  of  the  fumes  of  hemp,  had  no  uneasiness  on  her 
account. 

But  if  the  restoration  of  the  young  woman  was  not  a 
question  in  the  general's  mind,  he  was  not  less  assured  for 
the  future.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  say  to  Phileas  Fogg  that 
if  Aouda  remained  in  India,  she  would  inevitably  fall  again 
into  the  hands  of  her  executioners.  These  fanatics  were 
scattered  throughout  the  entire  peninsula,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  English  police,  they  would  certainly  be  able  to  re- 
capture their  victim,  whether  at  Madras,  at  Bombay,  or  at 
Calcutta.  And  in  support  of  this  remark,  Sir  Francis 
quoted  a  fact  of  the  same  nature  which  had  recently  tran- 
spired. According  to  his  view,  the  young  woman  would 
really  not  'be  safe  until  after  leaving  India.  Phileas  Fogg 
replied  that  he  would  note  these  remarks  and  think  them 
over. 

Towards  ten  o'clock  the  guide  announced  the  station  of 
Allahabad.  The  interrupted  line  of  the  railway  recom- 
menced there,  whence  trains  traverse,  in  less  than  a  day  and 
a  night,  the  distance  separating  Allahabad  from  Calcutta. 

Phileas  Fogg  ought  then  to  arrive  in  time  to  take  a 
steamer  which  would  not  leave  until  the  next  day,  October 
25,  at  noon,  for  Hong  Kong. 

The  young  woman  was  placed  in  a  waiting-room  of  the 
station.  Passepartout  was  directed  to  purchase  for  her 
various  articles  of  dress,  such  as  a  robe,  shawl,  furs,  etc., 
whatever  he  could  find.  His  master  opened  an  unlimited 
credit  for  him. 

Passepartout  went  out  immediately  and  ran  through  the 
streets  of  the  city.  Allahabad,  that  is,  the  "  City  of  God," 
is  one  of  the  most  venerated  of  India,  on  account  of  its  be- 


214     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

ing  built  at  the  junction  of  two  sacred  rivers,  the  Ganges 
and  the  Jumna,  whose  waters  attract  pilgrims  from  the 
whole  peninsula.  It  is  said  also  that,  according  to  the 
legends  of  the  Ramayana,  the  Ganges  takes  its  source  in 
heaven,  whence,  thanks  to  Brahma,  it  descends  upon  the 
earth. 

In  making  his  purchases.  Passepartout  had  soon  seen  the 
city,  at  one  time  defended  by  a  magnificent  fort,  which  has 
become  a  State  prison.  There  are  no  more  commerce  and 
no  more  manufactures  in  this  city,  formerly  a  manufactur- 
ing and  commercial  point.  Passepartout,  who  vainly  sought 
a  variety  shop,  such  as  there  was  in  Regent  street,  a  few 
steps  off  from  Farmer  &  Co.,  found  only  at  a  second-hand 
dealer's,  an  old  whimsical  Jew,  the  objects  which  he  needed 
— a  dress  of  Scotch  stuff,  a  large  mantle,  and  a  magnificent 
otter-skin  pelisse,  for  which  he  did  not  hesitate  to  pay 
seventy-five  pounds.  Then,  quite  triumphant,  he  returned 
to  the  station. 

Aouda  commenced  to  revive.  The  influence  to  which  the 
priests  of  Pillaji  had  subjected  her,  disappeared  by  degrees, 
and  her  beautiful  eyes  resumed  all  their  Indian  softness. 

When  the  poet-king,  Ucaf  Uddaul  celebrates  the  charms 
of  the  Queen  of  Ahemhnagara,  he  thus  expresses  himself, 
"  Her  shining  tresses,  regularly  divided  into  two  parts,  en- 
circle the  harmonious  outlines  of  her  delicate  and  white 
cheeks,  brilliant  with  their  glow  and  freshness.  Her  ebony 
eyebrows  have  the  form  and  strength  of  the  bow  of  Kama, 
god  of  love;  and  under  her  long  silken  lashes,  in  the  black 
pupil  of  her  large  limpid  eyes,  there  float,  as  in  the  sacred 
lakes  of  the  Himalaya,  the  purest  reflections  of  the  celestial 
light.  Fine,  regular,  and  white,  her  teeth  shine  out  between 
her  smiling  lips,  like  dew-drops  in  the  half-closed  bosom  of 
the  pomegranate  blossom.  Her  ears,  types  of  the  sym- 
metric curves,  her  rosy  hands,  her  little  feet,  curved  and 
tender  as  lotus  buds,  shine  with  the  splendor  of  the  finest 
pearls  of  Ceylon,  the  most  beautiful  diamonds  of  Golconda. 
Her  delicate  and  supple  waist,  which  a  hand  can  clasp, 
heightens  the  elegant  outline  of  her  rounded  figure,  and  the 
wealth  of  her  bosom,  where  youth  in  its  prime  displays  its 
most  perfect  treasures,  and  under  the  silken  folds  of  her 
tunic  she  seems  to  have  been  modeled  in  pure  silver  by  the 
divine  hand  of  Vicvarcarma,  the  immortal  sculptor." 


THE   VALLEY   OF   THE    GANGES         215 

But,  without  all  this  poetic  amplification,  it  is  sufficient  to 
say  that  Aouda,  the  widow  of  the  rajah  of  Bundelcund, 
was  a  charming  woman  in  the  entire  European  acceptation 
of  the  phrase.  She  spoke  English  fluently  and  with  great 
purity,  and  the  guide  had  not  exaggerated  in  asserting  that 
this  young  Parsee  woman  had  been  transformed  by  educa- 
tion. 

Meanwhile  the  train  was  about  to  leave  Allahabad.  The 
Parsee  was  waiting.  Mr.  Fogg  paid  him  the  compensation 
agreed  upon,  without  exceeding  it  a  farthing.  This  aston- 
ished Passepartout  a  little,  who  knew  everything  that  his 
master  owed  to  the  devotion  of  the  guide.  The  Parsee,  in 
fact,  had  risked  his  life  voluntarily  in  the  affair  at  Pillaji; 
and  if,  later,  the  Hindoos  should  learn  it,  he  would  hardly 
escape  their  vengeance. 

The  question  of  Kiouni  also  remained.  What  would  be 
done  with  an  elephant  bought  so  dearly? 

But  Phileas  Fogg  had  already  taken  a  resolution  upon  this 
point. 

"  Parsee,"  he  said  to  the  guide,  "  you  have  been  service- 
able and  devoted.  I  have  paid  for  your  service,  but  not 
for  your  devotion.  Do  you  wish  this  elephant?  It  is 
yours." 

The  eyes  of  the  guide  sparkled. 

"  Your  honor  is  giving  me  a  fortune !  "  he  cried. 

"  Accept,  guide,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  "  and  I  will  be  yet 
your  debtor." 

"Good!"  cried  Passepartout.  "Take  him,  friend! 
Kiouni  is  a  brave  and  courageous  animal."  And  going  to 
the  brave  he  gave  him  some  lumps  of  sugar,  saying,  "  Here, 
Kiouni,  here,  here!  " 

The  elephant  uttered  some  grunts  of  satisfaction.  Then 
taking  Passepartout  by  the  waist,  and  encircling  him  with 
his  trunk,  he  raised  him  as  high  as  his  head.  Passepartout, 
not  at  all  frightened,  caressed  the  animal,  who  replaced  him 
gently  on  the  ground,  and  to  the  shaking  of  the  honest 
Kiouni's  trunk  there  answered  a  vigorous  shaking  of  the 
good  fellow's  hand. 

A  few  moments  after,  Phileas  Fogg,  Sir  Francis  Cro- 
marty, and  Passepartout,  seated  in  a  comfortable  car,  the 
best  seat  in  which  Aouda  occupied,  were  running  at  full 
speed  towards  Benares.     Eighty  miles  at  the  most  separate 


2i6      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

this  place  from  Allahabad,  and  they  were  passed  over  in  two 
hours. 

During  this  passage  the  young  woman  completely  revived ; 
the  drowsy  fumes  of  the  "  hang  "  disappeared.  What  was 
her  astonishment  to  find  herself  on  this  railway,  in  this  com- 
partment clothed  in  European  habiliments,  in  the  midst  of 
travelers  entirely  unknown  to  her.  At  first  her  companions 
gave  her  the  greatest  care,  and  revived  her  with  a  few  drops 
of  liquor;  then  the  brigadier  general  told  the  story.  He 
dwelt  upon  the  devotion  of  Phileas  Fogg,  who  had  not 
hesitated  to  stake  his  life  to  save  her,  and  upon  the  de- 
nouement of  the  adventure,  due  to  the  bold  imagination  of 
Passepartout, 

Mr.  Fogg  let  him  go  on  without  saying  a  word.  Passe- 
partout, quite  ashamed,  repeated  that  "  it  was  not  worth 
while." 

Aouda  thanked  her  deliverers  profusely,  by  her  tears  more 
than  by  her  words.  Her  beautiful  eyes,  rather  than  her  lips, 
were  the  interpreters  of  her  gratitude.  Then,  her  thoughts 
carrying  her  back  to  the  scenes  of  the  suttee,  seeing  again 
the  Indian  country  where  so  many  dangers  still  awaited  her, 
she  shuddered  with  terror. 

Phileas  Fogg  understood  what  was  passing  in  Aouda's 
mind,  and,  to  reassure  her,  offered,  very  coolly,  to  take  her 
to  Hong  Kong,  where  she  might  remain  until  this 
affair  had  died  out.  Aouda  accepted  the  offer  grate- 
fully. At  Hong  Kong  there  resided  one  of  her  relatives,  a 
Parsee  like  herself,  and  one  of  the  principal  merchants  of 
that  city,  which  is  entirely  English,  though  occupying  a  point 
on  the  Chinese  coast. 

At  half-past  twelve,  noon,  the  train  stopped  at  the  Benares 
station.  The  Brahmin  legends  assert  that  this  place  oc- 
cupies the  site  of  the  ancient  Casi,  which  was  formerly  sus- 
pended in  space,  between  the  zenith  and  the  nadir,  like 
Mahomet's  tomb.  But  at  this  more  material  period  Benares, 
the  Athens  of  India,  was  prosaically  resting  on  the  earth, 
and  Passepartout  could  for  an  instant  see  its  brick  houses, 
its  clay  huts,  which  gave  it  a  very  desolate  appearance,  with- 
out any  local  color. 

Here  was  where  Sir  Francis  Cromarty  was  going  to  stop. 
The  troops  which  he  was  rejoining  were  camping  a  few 
miles  to  the  north  of  the  city.     The  brigadier  general  then 


THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GANGES  217 

made  his  adieus  to  Phileas  Fogg,  wishing  him  all  possible 
success,  and  expressing  the  wish  that  he  would  recommence 
the  journey  in  a  less  original,  but  more  profitable  manner. 
Mr.  Fogg  pressed  lightly  his  companion's  fingers.  The 
parting  greetings  of  Aouda  were  more  demonstrative.  She 
would  never  forget  what  she  owed  Sir  Francis  Cromarty. 
As  for  Passepartout  he  was  honored  with  a  hearty  shake  of 
the  hand  by  the  general.  Quite  affected,  he  asked  where 
and  when  he  could  be  of  service  to  him.     Then  they  parted. 

Leaving  Benares,  the  railway  followed  in  part  the  valley 
of  the  Ganges.  Through  the  windows  of  the  car,  the 
weather  being  quite  clear,  appeared  the  varied  country  of 
Behar,  mountains  covered  with  verdure,  fields  of  barley, 
corn,  and  wheat,  jungles  full  of  green  alligators,  villages 
well  kept,  forests  yet  green.  A  few  elephants,  and  zebus 
with  large  humps,  came  to  bathe  in  the  waters  of  the  sacred 
river,  and  also  notwithstanding  the  advanced  season  and  the 
already  cold  temperature,  bands  of  Hindoos  of  both  sexes, 
,who  were  piously  performing  their  holy  ablutions. 

All  this  panorama  passed  like  a  flash,  and  frequently  a 
cloud  of  steam  concealed  its  details  from  them.  The  trav- 
elers could  scarcely  see  the  fort  of  Chunar,  twenty  miles  to 
the  southeast  of  Benares,  the  old  stronghold  of  the  rajahs 
of  Behar,  Ghazepour,  and  its  large  rose-water  manufac- 
tories; the  tomb  of  Lord  Cornwallis  rising  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Ganges;  the  fortified  town  of  Buxar;  Patna,  the  great 
manufacturing  and  commercial  city,  where  the  principal 
opium  market  in  India  is  held;  Monghir,  a  more  than  Euro- 
pean town,  as  English  as  Manchester  or  Birmingham, 
famous  for  its  iron  foundries,  its  manufactories  of  cutlery, 
and  whose  high  chimneys  cover  with  a  black  smoke  the 
heavens  of  Brahma — a  real  fist-blow  in  the  country  of 
dreams ! 

Then  night  came,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  bowlings  of  the 
tigers,  the  bears,  and  the  wolves,  which  fled  before  the  loco- 
motive, the  train  passed  on  at  full  speed,  and  they  saw  noth- 
ing of  the  wonders  of  Bengal,  or  Golconda,  or  Gour  in  ruins, 
or  Mourshedabad,  the  former  capital,  or  Burdwan,  or 
Hougly,  or  Chandernagar,  that  French  point  in  the  Indian 
territory,  on  which  Passepartout  would  have  been  proud  to 
see  his  native  flag  floating. 

Finally,  at  seven  o'clock  a.   m.,   Calcutta  was  reached. 


2i8      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

The  steamer  to  leave  for  Hong  Kong  did  not  weigh  anchor 
until  noon.  Phileas  Fogg  had  then  five  hours  before  him. 
According  to  his  journal,  this  gentleman  should  arrive  in 
the  capital  of  India,  October  25,  twenty-three  days  after 
leaving  London,  and  he  arrived  there  on  the  stipulated  day. 
He  was  neither  behind  nor  ahead  of  time.  Unfortunately 
the  two  days  gained  by  him  between  London  and  Bombay 
had  been  lost,  we  know  how,  in  this  trip  across  the  Indian 
peninsula,  but  it  is  to  be  supposed  that  Phileas  Fogg  did  not 
regret  them. 


CHAPTER   XV 

IN  WHICH  THE  BAG  WITH  THE  BANK-NOTES  IS  RELIEVED  OF 
A  FEW  THOUSANDS  POUNDS  MORE  ! 

The  train  stopped  at  the  station.  Passepartout  first  got 
out  of  the  car,  and  was  followed  by  Mr.  Fogg,  who  aided 
his  young  companion  to  descend.  Phileas  Fogg  counted 
on  going  directly  to  the  Hong  Kong  steamer,  in  order  to  fix 
Aouda  there  comfortably.  He  did  not  wish  to  leave  her  as 
long  as  she  was  in  this  country,  so  dangerous  for  her. 

At  the  moment  that  Mr.  Fogg  was  going  out  of  the  station 
a  policeman  approached  him  and  said,  "  Mr.  Phileas  Fogg?  " 

"  I  am  he." 

"  Is  this  man  your  servant  ?  "  added  the  policeman,  point- 
ing to  Passepartout. 

"  Yes." 

"  You  will  both  be  so  kind  as  to  follow  me." 

Mr.  Fogg  made  no  movement  indicating  any  surprise. 
This  agent  was  a  representative  of  the  law,  and  for  every 
Englishman  the  law  is  sacred.  Passepartout,  with  his 
French  habits,  wanted  to  discuss  the  matter,  but  the  police- 
man touched  him  with  his  stick,  and  Phileas  Fogg  made  him 
a  sign  to  obey. 

"  This  young  lady  can  accompany  us  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  She  can,"  replied  the  policeman. 

The  policeman  conducted  Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  Passe- 
partout to  a  palki-ghari,  a  sort  of  four-wheeled  vehicle  with 
four  seats,  drawn  by  two  horses.  They  started.  No  one 
spoke  during  the  twenty-minutes'  ride. 

The  vehicle  first  crossed  the  "  black  town,"  with  its  narrow 


THE    BAG    WITH    THE    BANK-NOTES        219 

streets,  its  huts  in  which  groveled  a  miscellaneous  popula- 
tion, dirty  and  ragged;  then  they  passed  through  the  Euro- 
pean town,  adorned  with  brick  houses,  shaded  by  cocoa-nut 
trees,  bristling  with  masts,  through  which,  notwithstanding 
the  early  hour,  were  driving  handsomely  dressed  gentlemen, 
in  elegant  turn-outs. 

The  palki-ghari  stopped  before  a  dwelling  of  plain  appear- 
ance, but  not  used  for  private  purposes.  The  policeman  let 
his  prisoners  out,  for  they  could,  indeed,  be  called  thus,  and 
he  led  them  into  a  room  with  grated  windows,  saying  to 
them.,  "  At  half-past  eight  you  will  appear  before  Judge 
Obadiah." 

Then  he  left,  and  closed  the  door. 

"  See !  we  are  prisoners ! "  cried  Passepartout,  dropping 
into  a  chair. 

Aouda,  addressing  Mr.  Fogg  immediately,  said  in  a  voice 
whose  emotion  she  sought  in  vain  to  disguise,  "  Sir  you  must 
leave  me !  It  is  on  my  account  that  you  are  pursued !  It  is 
because  you  have  rescued  me !  " 

Phileas  Fogg  contented  himself  with  saying  that  that 
could  not  be  possible.  Pursued  on  account  of  this  suttee 
affair !  Inadmissible !  How  would  the  complainants  dare 
present  themselves?  There  was  a  mistake.  Mr.  Fogg 
added  that,  in  any  event,  he  would  not  abandon  the  young 
woman,  and  that  he  would  take  her  to  Hong  Kong. 

"  But  the  steamer  leaves  at  noon !  "  remarked  Passepar- 
tout. 

"  Before  noon  we  shall  be  on  board,"  was  the  simple  reply 
of  the  impassible  gentleman. 

This  was  so  flatly  asserted  that  Passepartout  could  not 
help  saying  to  himself,  "  Parbleu !  that  is  certain !  before 
noon  we  will  be  on  board  1 "  But  he  was  not  at  all  re- 
assured. 

At  half-past  eight  the  door  of  the  room  was  opened.  The 
policeman  reappeared,  and  he  led  the  prisoners  into  the  next 
room.  It  was  a  court-room,  and  quite  a  large  crowd,  com- 
posed of  Europeans  and  natives,  already  occupied  the  rear 
of  the  room. 

Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  Passepartout  were  seated  on  a 
bench  in  front  of  the  seats  reserved  for  the  magistrate  and 
the  clerk. 

This  magistrate,  Judge  Obadiah,  entered  almost  imme- 


220     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

diately,  followed  by  the  clerk.  He  was  a  large,  fat  man. 
He  took  down  a  wig  hung  on  a  nail  and  hastily  put  it  on  his 
head.     "  The  first  case,"  he  said. 

But  putting  his  hand  to  his  head,  he  added,  "  Humph ! 
this  is  not  my  wig!  " 

"  That's  a  fact,  Mr.  Obadiah,  it  is  mine,"  replied  the  clerk. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Oysterpuff,  how  do  you  think  that  a  judge 
can  give  a  wise  sentence  with  a  clerk's  wig.'*" 

An  exchange  of  wigs  had  been  made.  During  these  pre- 
liminaries. Passepartout  was  boiling  over  with  impatience, 
for  the  hands  appeared  to  him  to  move  terribly  fast  over 
the  face  of  the  large  clock  in  the  court-room. 

"  The  first  case,"  said  Judge  Obadiah  again. 

"  Phileas  Fogg?  "  said  Clerk  Oysterpuff. 

"  Here  I  am,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"Passepartout?" 

"  Present !  "  replied  Passepartout. 

"  Good !  "  said  Judge  Obadiah.  "  For  two  days,  prison- 
ers, you  have  been  looked  for  upon  the  arrival  of  all  the 
trains  from  Bombay." 

"But  of  what  are  we  accused?"  cried  Passepartout  im- 
patiently. 

"  You  shall  know  now,"  replied  the  judge. 

"  Sir,"  said  Mr.  Fogg  then,  "  I  am  an  English  citizen,  and 
have  the  right " 

"  Have  you  been  treated  disrespectfully,"  asked  Mr. 
Obadiah. 

"  Not  at  all." 

"  Very  well,  let  the  complainants  come  in." 

Upon  the  order  of  the  judge  a  door  was  opened,  and  three 
Hindoo  priests  were  led  in  by  a  tipstaff. 

"  Well,  well !  "  murmured  Passepartout,  "  they  are  the 
rascals  who  were  going  to  burn  our  young  lady !  " 

The  priests  stood  up  before  the  judge,  and  the  clerk  read 
in  a  loud  voice  a  complaint  of  sacrilege,  preferred  against 
Mr.  Phileas  Fogg  and  his  servant,  accused  of  having  violated 
a  place  consecrated  by  the  Brahmin  religion. 

"You  have  heard  the  charge?"  the  judge  asked  Phileas 
Fogg. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  consulting  his  watch,  "  and 
I  confess  it." 

"Ah!    You  confess?" 


THE    BAG    WITH    THE   BANK-NOTES        221 

"  I  confess  and  expect  these  three  priests  to  confess  in 
their  turn  what  they  were  going  to  do  at  the  pagoda  of 
Pillaji." 

The  priests  looked  at  each  other.  They  did  not  seem  to 
understand  the  words  of  the  accused. 

"  Truly ! "  cried  Passepartout  impetuously,  "  at  the 
pagoda  of  Pillaji,  where  they  were  going  to  burn  their 
victim!" 

More  stupefaction  of  the  priests,  and  profound  astonish- 
ment of  Judge  Obadiah. 

*' What  victim?  "  he  answered.  "Burn  whom?  In  the 
heart  of  the  city  of  Bombay?  " 

"  Bombay.?  "  cried  Passepartout. 

"  Certainly.  We  are  not  speaking  of  the  pagoda  of 
Pillaji,  but  of  the  pagoda  of  Malebar  in  Bombay." 

"And  as  a  proof  here  are  the  desecrator's  shoes,"  added 
the  clerk,  putting  a  pair  on  his  desk. 

"  Those  are  my  shoes !  "  cried  Passepartout,  who,  sur- 
prised at  the  last  charge,  could  not  prevent  this  involuntary 
exclamation. 

The  confusion  in  the  minds  of  the  master  and  servant 
may  be  imagined.  They  had  forgotten  the  incident  of  the 
pagoda  of  Bombay,  and  that  was  the  very  thing  which  had 
brought  them  before  the  magistrate  in  Calcutta. 

In  fact.  Fix  understood  the  advantage  that  he  might  get 
from  this  unfortunate  affair.  Delaying  his  departure  twelve 
hours,  he  had  taken  counsel  with  the  priests  of  Malebar  Hill, 
and  had  promised  them  large  damages,  knowing  very  well 
that  the  English  Government  was  very  severe  upon  this  kind 
of  trespass;  then  by  the  following  train  he  had  sent  them 
forward  on  the  track  of  the  perpetrator.  But,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  time  employed  in  the  deliverance  of  the 
young  widow.  Fix  and  the  Hindoos  arrived  at  Calcutta  be- 
fore Phileas  Fogg  and  his  servant,  whom  the  authorities, 
warned  by  telegraph,  were  to  arrest  as  they  got  out  of  the 
train.  The  disappointment  of  Fix  may  be  judged  of,  when 
he  learned  that  Phileas  Fogg  had  not  yet  arrived  in  the 
capital  of  India.  He  was  compelled  to  think  that  his  robber, 
stopping  at  one  of  the  stations  of  the  Peninsular  Railway, 
had  taken  refuge  in  the  northern  provinces.  For  twenty- 
four  hours,  in  the  greatest  uneasiness,  Fix  watched  for  him 
at  the  station.     What  was  his  joy  then  when,  this  very  morn- 


222      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

ing,  he  saw  him  get  out  of  the  car,  accompanied,  it  is  true, 
by  a  young  woman  whose  presence  he  could  not  explain. 
He  immediately  sent  a  policeman  after  him;  and  this  is  how 
Mr.  Fogg,  Passepartout,  and  the  widow  of  the  rajah  of 
Bundelcund  were  taken  before  Judge  Obadiah. 

And  if  Passepartout  had  been  less  preoccupied  with  his 
affair,  he  would  have  perceived  in  a  corner  of  the  room  the 
detective,  who  followed  the  discussion  with  an  interest  easy 
to  understand,  for  at  Calcutta,  as  at  Bombay,  and  as  at  Suez, 
the  warrant  of  arrest  was  still  not  at  hand! 

But  Judge  Obadiah  had  taken  a  note  of  the  confession 
escaped  from  Passepartout,  who  would  have  given  all  he 
possessed  to  recall  his  imprudent  words. 

"The  facts  are  admitted?"  said  the  judge. 

"  Admitted,"  repHed  Mr.  Fogg  coldly. 

"  Inasmuch,"  continued  the  judge,  "  as  the  English  law 
intends  to  protect  equally  and  rigorously  all  the  religions  of 
the  people  of  India  the  trespass  being  admitted  by  this  man 
Passepartout,  convicted  of  having  violated  with  sacrilegious 
feet  the  pavement  of  the  pagoda  of  Malebar  Hill  in  Bom- 
bay, on  the  20th  day  of  October,  I  sentence  the  said  Passe- 
partout to  fifteen  days'  imprisonment,  and  a  fine  of  three 
hundred  pounds." 

"  Three  hundred  pounds ! "  cried  Passepartout,  who  was 
really  only  alive  to  the  fine. 

"  Silence!  "  said  the  tipstaff  in  a  shrill  voice. 

"  And,"  added  Judge  Obadiah,  "  inasmuch  as  it  is  not 
materially  proved  that  there  was  not  a  connivance  between 
the  servant  and  the  master,  the  latter  of  whom  ought  to  be 
held  responsible  for  the  acts  and  gestures  of  a  servant  in  his 
employ,  I  detain  the  said  Phileas  Fogg  and  sentence  him  to 
eight  days'  imprisonment  and  one  hundred  and  fift}''  pounds 
fine.     Clerk,  call  another  case !  " 

Fix,  in  his  corner,  experienced  an  unspeakable  satisfac- 
tion. Phileas  Fogg,  detained  eight  days  in  Calcutta!  It 
would  be  more  than  time  enough  for  the  warrant  to  arrive. 

Passepartout  was  crushed.  This  sentence  would  ruin  his 
master.  A  wager  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  lost,  and  all 
because,  in  the  height  of  folly,  he  had  gone  into  that  cursed 
pagoda ! 

Phileas  Fogg,  as  much  master  of  himself  as  if  this  sen- 
tence did  not  concern  him,  did  not  even  knit  his  eyebrows. 


THE    BAG   WITH   THE    BANK-NOTES        223 

But  at  the  moment  that  the  clerk  was  calling  another  case, 
he  rose  and  said,  "  I  offer  bail." 

"  It  is  your  right,"  replied  the  judge. 

Fix  felt  a  cold  shudder  down  his  back,  but  he  recovered 
himself  again,  when  he  heard  the  judge,  "  in  consideration 
of  the  fact  of  Phileas  Fogg  and  his  servant  both  being 
strangers,"  fix  the  bail  for  each  at  the  enormous  sum  of  one 
thousand  pounds. 

It  would  cost  Mr.  Fogg  two  thousand  pounds,  unless  he 
was  cleared  from  his  sentence. 

"  I  will  pay  it,"  said  that  gentleman. 

And  he  took  from  the  bag  which  Passepartout  carried  a 
bundle  of  bank-notes,  which  he  placed  on  the  clerk's  desk. 

"  This  sum  will  be  returned  to  you  on  coming  out  of 
prison,"  said  the  judge  "  In  the  meantime,  you  are  free 
under  bail." 

"  Come,"  said  Phileas  Fogg  to  his  servant. 

"  But  they  should  at  least  return  me  my  shoes,"  crie'd 
Passepartout,  with  an  angry  movement. 

They  returned  him  his  shoes. 

"  These  are  dear !  "  he  murmued ;  "  more  than  a  thou- 
sand pounds  apiece!  Without  counting  that  they  pinch 
me!" 

Passepartout,  with  a  very  pitiful  look,  followed  Mr.  Fogg, 
who  had  offered  his  arm  to  the  young  woman.  Fix  still 
hoped  that  his  robber  would  not  decide  to  surrender  this  sum 
of  two  thousand  pounds,  and  that  he  would  serve  out  his 
eight  days  in  prison.  He  put  himself,  then,  on  Fogg's 
tracks. 

Mr.  Fogg  took  a  carriage,  into  which  Aouda,  Passepar- 
tout, and  he  got  out  immediately.  Fix  ran  behind  the  car- 
riage, which  soon  stopped  on  one  of  the  wharves  of  the 
city. 

Half  a  mile  out  in  the  harbor  the  Rangoon  was  anchored, 
her  sailing  flag  hoisted  to  the  top  of  the  mast.  Eleven 
o'clock  struck.  Mr.  Fogg  was  one  hour  ahead.  Fix 
saw  him  get  out  of  the  carriage,  and  embark  in  a  boat 
with  Aouda  and  his  servant.  The  detective  stamped  his 
foot. 

"The  rascal!"  he  cried:  "he  is  going  off!  Two  thou- 
sand pounds  sacrificed !  Prodigal  as  a  robber !  Ah !  I 
will  follow  him  to  the  end  of  the  world,  if  it  is  necessary; 


224     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

but,  at  the  rate  at  which  he  is  going,  all  the  stolen  money 
will  be  gone !  " 

The  detective  had  good  reason  for  making  this  remark. 
In  fact,  since  he  left  London,  what  with  traveling  expenses, 
rewards,  the  elephant  purchase,  bail,  and  fines,  Phileas  Fogg 
had  already  scattered  more  than  five  thousand  pounds  on  his 
route,  and  the  percentage  of  the  sum  recovered,  promised  to 
the  detectives,  was  constantly  diminishing. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

IN    WHICH    FIX    HAS    NOT   THE   APPEARANCE   OF    KNOWING 

ANYTHING  ABOUT  THE  MATTERS  CONCERNING 

WHICH  THEY  TALK  TO  HIM 

The  Rangoon,  one  of  the  vessels  employed  by  the  Penin- 
sular and  Oriental  Company  in  the  Chinese  and  Japanese 
seas,  was  an  iron  screw  steamer,  of  seventeen  hundred  and 
seventy  tons,  and  nominally  of  four  hundred  horse-power. 
She  was  equally  swift,  but  not  so  comfortable  as  the  Mon- 
golia. Aouda  was  not  as  well  fixed  in  her  as  Phileas  Fogg 
would  have  desired.  But,  after  all,  it  was  only  a  distance 
of  three  thousand  five  hundred  miles,  and  the  young  woman 
did  not  show  herself  a  troublesome  passenger. 

During  the  first  few  days  of  the  passage  Aouda  became 
better  acquainted  with  Phileas  Fogg.  On  every  occasion 
she  showed  him  the  liveliest  gratitude.  The  phlegmatic 
gentleman  listened  to  her,  at  least  in  appearance,  with  the 
most  extreme  indifference,  not  one  tone  of  his  voice  or  ges- 
ture betraying  in  him  the  slightest  emotion.  He  saw  that 
she  was  wanting  In  nothing.  At  certain  hours  he  came  regu- 
larly, if  not  to  talk  with  her,  at  least  to  listen  to  her.  He 
fulfilled  toward  her  the  duties  of  the  strictest  politeness,  but 
with  the  grace  and  startling  effects  of  an  automaton  whose 
movements  had  been  put  together  for  that  purpose.  Aouda 
did  not  know  what  to  think  of  him,  but  Passepartout  had  ex- 
plained to  her  a  little  the  eccentric  character  of  his  master. 
He  had  told  her  what  sort  of  a  wager  was  taking  him  round 
the  world.  Aouda  had  smiled;  but,  after  all,  she  owed  her 
life  to  him,  and  her  deliverer  could  not  lose,  because  she  saw 
him  through  her  gratitude. 

Aouda  confirmed  the  narrative  of  the  guide  in  reference 
V.  vu  V«rn« 


THEY   TALK   TO   PIX  225 

to  her  affecting  history.  She  belonged,  in  fact,  to  the  race 
which  occupies  the  first  rank  among  the  natives.  Several 
Parsee  merchants  have  made  large  fortunes  in  India  in  the 
cotton  trade.  One  of  them,  Sir  James  Jejeebhoy,  was  raised 
to  the  nobihty  by  the  Enghsh  Government,  and  Aouda  was 
a  relative  of  this  rich  person,  who  lived  in  Bombay.  It  was 
indeed  a  cousin  of  Sir  Jejeebhoy,  the  honorable  Jejeeh, 
whom  she  counted  on  joining  at  Hong  Kong.  Would  she 
find  a  refuge  with  him  and  assistance  ?  She  could  not  say  so 
positively.  To  which  Mr.  Fogg  replied  that  she  should  not 
be  uneasy,  and  everything  would  be  mathematically  ar- 
ranged.    That  was  the  phrase  he  used. 

Did  the  young  woman  understand  this  horrible  adverb? 
We  do  not  know.  However,  her  large  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
those  of  Mr.  Fogg — her  large  eyes  "  clear  as  the  sacred  lakes 
of  the  Himalaya!"  But  the  intractable  Fogg,  as  reserved 
as  ever,  did  not  seem  to  be  the  man  to  throw  himself  into 
this  lake. 

The  first  part  of  the  Rangoon's  voyage  was  accomplished 
under  excellent  conditions.  The  weather  was  moderate. 
All  the  lower  portion  of  the  immense  Bay  of  Bengal  was 
favorable  to  the  steamer's  progress.  The  Rangoon  soon 
sighted  the  great  Andaman,  the  principal  one  of  the  group 
of  islands,  which  is  distinguished  by  navigators  at  a  great 
distance  by  the  picturesque  Saddle  Peak  mountain,  two  thou- 
sand four  hundred  feet  high. 

The  panoramic  development  of  this  island  was  superb. 
Immense  forests  of  palm  trees,  arecas,  bamboo,  nutmeg 
trees,  teak-wood,  giant  mimosas,  and  tree-like  ferns  covered 
the  country  in  the  foreground,  and  in  the  background  there 
stood  out  in  relief  the  graceful  outline  of  the  mountains. 
Along  the  shore  there  swarmed  by  thousands  those  precious 
swallows  whose  eatable  nests  form  a  dish  much  sought  for 
in  the  celestial  empire.  But  all  this  varied  spectacle  offered 
to  the  eyes  by  the  Andaman  group  passed  quickly,  and  the 
Rangoon  swiftly  pursued  her  way  towards  the  straits  of 
Malacca,  which  were  to  give  her  access  to  the  Chinese  seas. 

During  this  trip  what  was  detective  Fix  doing,  so  unluck- 
ily dragged  into  a  voyage  round  the  world?  On  leaving 
Calcutta,  after  having  left  instructions  to  forward  the  war- 
rant to  him  at  Hong  Kong,  if  it  should  arrive,  he  succeeded 
in  getting  aboard  the  Rangoon  without  being  perceived  by 


226     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY,  DAYS 

Passepartout,  arud  he  hoped  that  he  might  conceal  his  pres- 
ence until  the  arrival  of  the  steamer.  In  fact,  it  would  have 
been  difficult  for  him  to  explain  how  he  was  on  board  with- 
out awaking  the  suspicions  of  Passepartout,  who  thought 
he  was  in  Bombay,  But  he  was  led  to  renew  his  acquaint- 
ance with  the  good  fellow  by  the  very  logic  of  circumstances. 
How  ?    We  shall  see. 

All  the  hopes,  all  the  desires  of  the  detective  were  now 
concentrated  on  a  single  point  in  the  world.  Hong  Kong — 
for  the  steamer  would  stop  too  short  a  time  in  Singapore  for 
him  to  operate  in  that  city.  The  arrest  of  the  robber  must 
then  be  made  in  Hong  Kong,  or  he  would  escape  irrecover- 
ably. 

In  fact,  Hong  Kong  was  still  English  soil,  but  the  last 
he  would  find  on  the  road.  Beyond,  China,  Japan,  America 
would  offer  a  pretty  certain  refuge  to  Mr.  Fogg.  At  Hong 
Kong,  if  he  should  finally  find  there  the  warrant  of  arrest, 
which  was  evidently  running  after  him,  Fix  would  arrest 
Fogg,  and  put  him  in  the  hands  of  the  local  police.  No  diffi- 
culty there.  But  after  Hong  Kong  a  simple  warrant  of  ar- 
rest would  not  be  sufficient.  An  extradition  order  would  be 
necessary.  Thence  delays  and  obstacles  of  every  kind,  of 
which  the  rogue  would  take  advantage  to  escape  finally.  If 
he  failed  at  Hong  Kong,  it  would  be,  if  not  impossible,  at 
least  very  difficult  to  attempt  it  again  with  any  chance  of 
success. 

"  Then,"  repeated  Fix  during  the  long  hours  that  he: 
passed  in  his  cabin,  "  then,  either  the  warrant  will  be  at  Hong 
Kong  and  I  will  arrest  my  man,  or  it  will  not  be  there,  and 
this  time  I  must,  at  all  hazards,  delay  his  departure !  I  have 
failed  at  Bombay,  I  have  failed  at  Calcutta!  If  I  miss  at 
Hong  Kong,  I  shall  lose  my  reputation !  Cost  what  it  may, 
I  must  succeed.  But  what  means  shall  I  employ  to  delay, 
if  it  is  necessary,  the  departure  of  this  accursed  Phileas 
Fogg.? " 

As  a  last  resort.  Fix  had  decided  to  tell  everything  to 
Passepartout,  to  let  him  know  who  the  master  was  that  he 
was  serving,  and  whose  accomplice  he  certainly  was  not. 
Passepartout,  enlightened  by  this  revelation,  fearing  to  be 
compromised,  would  without  doubt  take  sides  with  him,  Fix. 
But  it  was  a  very  hazardous  means,  which  could  only  be  em- 
ployed in  default  of  any  other.     One  word  from  Passepar- 


THEY   TALK   TO    FIX  227 

tout  to  his  master  would  have  been  sufficient  to  compromise 
the  affair  irrevocably. 

The  detective  was  then  extremely  embarrassed  when  the 
presence  of  Aouda  on  board  of  the  Rangoon,  in  company 
with  Phileas  Fogg,  opened  new  perspectives  to  him. 

Who  was  this  woman?  What  combination  of  circum- 
stances had  made  her  Fogg's  companion?  The  meeting 
had  evidently  taken  place  between  Bombay  and  Calcutta. 
But  at  what  point  of  the  peninsula.?  Was  it  chance  which 
had  brought  together  Phileas  Fogg  and  the  young  traveler? 
Had  not  this  journey  across  India,  on  the  contrary,  been 
undertaken  by  this  gentleman  with  the  aim  of  joining  this 
charming  person?  For  she  was  charming!  Fix  had  had  a 
good  view  of  her  in  the  audience  hall  of  the  Calcutta  tribunal. 

It  may  be  comprehended  to  what  a  point  the  detective 
would  be  entangled.  He  asked  himself  if  there  was  not  a 
criminal  abduction  in  this  affair.  Yes!  that  must  be  it! 
This  idea  once  fastened  in  the  mind  of  Fix,  and  he  recog- 
nized all  the  advantage  that  he  could  get  from  this  circum- 
stance. Whether  this  young  woman  was  married  or  not, 
there  was  an  abduction,  and  it  was  possible  to  put  the 
ravisher  in  such  embarrassment  in  Hong  Kong  that  he  could 
not  extricate  himself  by  paying  money. 

But  it  was  not  necessary  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
'Rangoon  at  Hong  Kong,  This  Fogg  had  the  detestable 
habit  of  jumping  from  one  vessel  into  another  and  before 
the  affair  was  entered  upon  he  might  be  far  enough  off. 

The  important  thing  was  to  warn  the  English  authorities, 
and  to  signal  the  Rangoon  before  her  arrival.  Now,  noth- 
ing would  be  easier  to  accomplish,  as  the  steamer  would  put 
in  at  Singapore,  which  is  connected  with  the  Chinese  coast 
by  a  telegraph  line. 

But,  before  acting,  and  to  be  more  certain,  Fix  deter- 
mined to  question  Passepartout.  He  knew  it  was  not  very 
difficult  to  start  the  young  man  talking,  and  he  decided  to 
throw  off  the  incognito  that  he  had  maintained  until  that 
time.  Now  there  was  no  time  to  lose.  It  was  October  31, 
and  the  next  day  the  Rangoon  would  drop  anchor  at  Singa- 
pore. 

This  very  day,  October  30,  Fix,  leaving  his  cabin,  went 
upon  deck,  with  the  intention  of  meeting  Passepartout  first, 
with  signs  of  the  greatest  surprise.     Passepartout  was  walk- 


228      ROUND   THE   WOJ^LD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

ing  in  the  forward  part  of  the  vessel  when  the  detective 
rushed  toward  him  exclaiming,  "  Is  this  you,  on  the 
Rangoon?  " 

"  Monsieur  Fix  aboard ! "  replied  Passepartout,  very 
much  surprised,  recognizing  his  old  acquaintance  of  the 
Mongolia. 

"  What!  I  left  you  at  Bombay,  and  I  meet  you  again  on 
the  route  to  Hong  Kong!  Are  you  making  also  the  tour 
of  the  world?" 

"  No,  no,"  replied  Fix.  "  I  expect  to  stop  at  Hong 
Kong,  at  least  for  a  few  days." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Passepartout,  who  seemed  astonished  for  a 
moment.  "  But  why  have  I  not  seen  you  aboard  since  we 
left  Calcutta?" 

"  Indeed,  I  was  sick — a  little  sea-sickness — I  remained 
lying  down  in  my  cabin — I  did  not  get  along  as  well  in  the 
Bay  of  Bengal  as  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  And  your  master, 
Phileas  Fogg?  " 

"  Is  in  perfect  health,  and  as  punctual  as  his  diary!  Not 
one  day  behind!  Ah!  Monsieur  Fix,  you  do  not  know  it, 
but  we  have  a  young  lady  with  us  also." 

"A  young  lady?"  replied  the  detective,  who  acted  ex- 
actly as  if  he  did  not  understand  what  his  companion  was 
saying. 

But  Passepartout  soon  gave  him  the  thread  of  the  whole 
story.  He  related  the  incident  of  the  pagoda  in  Bombay, 
the  purchase  of  the  elephant  at  the  cost  of  two  thousand 
pounds,  the  suttee  affair,  the  abduction  of  Aouda,  the  sen- 
tence of  the  Calcutta  court,  and  their  freedom  under  bail. 
Fix,  who  knew  the  last  portion  of  these  incidents,  seemed 
not  to  know  any  of  them,  and  Passepartout  gave  himself  up 
to  the  pleasure  of  telling  his  adventures  to  a  hearer  who 
showed  so  much  interest. 

"  But,"  asked  Fix  at  the  end  of  the  story,  "  does  your 
master  intend  to  take  this  young  woman  to  Europe?" 

"  Not  at  all.  Monsieur  Fix;  not  at  all!  We  are  simply 
going  to  put  her  in  charge  of  one  of  her  relatives,  a  rich 
merchant  of  Hong  Kong." 

"  Nothing  to  be  done  there,"  said  the  detective  to  himself, 
concealing  his  disappointment.  *'  Take  a  glass  of  gin,  Mr. 
Passepartout." 

"  With  pleasure.  Monsieur  Fix.  It  is  the  least  that  we 
should  drink  to  our  meeting  aboard  the  Rangoon." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IN  WHICH  ONE  THING  AND  ANOTHER  IS  TALKED  ABOUT  DUR- 
ING THE  TRIP  FROM  SINGAPORE  TO  HONG  KONG 

"After  this  day,  Passepartout  and  the  detective  met  fre- 
quently, but  the  latter  maintained  a  very  great  reserve  to- 
wards his  companion,  and  he  did  not  try  to  make  him  talk. 
Once  or  twice  only  he  had  a  glimpse  of  Mr.  Fogg,  who  was 
glad  to  remain  in  the  grand  saloon  of  the  Rangoon,  either 
keeping  company  with  Aouda,  or  playing  at  whist, 
according  to  his  invariable  habit. 

As  for  Passepartout,  he  thought  very  seriously  over  the 
singular  chance  which  had  once  more  put  Fix  on  his  mas- 
ter's route.  And  in  fact,  it  was  a  little  surprising.  This 
gentleman,  very  amiable  and  very  complacent,  certainly, 
whom  they  met  first  at  Suez,  who  embarked  upon  the 
Mongolia,  who  landed  at  Bombay,  where  he  said  that  he 
would  stop,  whom  they  meet  again  on  the  Rangoon,  en  route 
for  Hong  Kong — in  a  word,  following  step  by  step  the  route 
marked  out  by  Mr.  Fogg — he  was  worth  the  trouble  of  being 
thought  about.  There  was  at  least  a  singular  coincidence 
in  it  all.  What  interest  had  Fix  in  it.^  Passepartout  was 
ready  to  bet  his  slippers — he  had  carefully  preserved  them — 
that  Fix  would  leave  Hong  Kong  at  the  same  time  as  they, 
and  probably  on  the  same  steamer. 

If  Passepartout  had  thought  for  a  century,  he  would 
never  have  guessed  the  detective's  mission.  He  would 
never  have  imagined  that  Phileas  Fogg  was  being  "  fol- 
lowed," after  the  fashion  of  a  robber,  around  the  terrestrial 
globe.  But  as  it  is  in  human  nature  to  give  an  explanation 
for  everything,  Passepartout,  suddenly  enlightened,  inter- 
preted in  his  way  the  permanent  presence  of  Fix,  and,  in- 
deed, his  interpretation  was  very  plausible.  According  to 
him  Fix  was,  and  could  be,  only  a  detective  sent  upon  Mr. 
Fogg's  tracks  by  his  colleagues  of  the  Reform  Club,  to  prove 
that  this  tour  around  the  world  was  accomplished  regularly, 
according  to  the  time  agreed  upon. 

"  That  is  plain !  that  is  plain !  "  repeated  the  honest  fellow 
to  himself,  quite  proud  of  his  clearsightedness.  "  He  is  a 
spy  whom  these  gentlemen  have  put  upon  our  heels.  This 
is  undignified!  To  have  Mr.  Fogg,  a  man  so  honorable 
and  just,  tracked  by  a  detective!  Ah!  gentlemen  of  the 
Reform  Club,  that  will  cost  you  dearly! " 

229 


2^,0     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 


Passepartout,  delighted  with  his  discovery,  resolved,  how- 
ever, to  say  nothing  of  it  to  his  master,  fearing  that  he 
would  be  justly  wounded  at  this  mistrust  which  his  oppon- 
ents showed.  But  he  promised  himself  to  banter  Fix,  as 
opportunity  offered,  with  covert  allusions,  and  without  com- 
mitting himself. 

On  Wednesday,  October  30,  in  the  afternoon,  the 
Rangoon  entered  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  separating  the 
peninsula  of  that  name  from  Sumatra.  Mountainous, 
craggy,  and  very  picturesque  islets  concealed  from  the  pas- 
senger the  view  of  this  large  island. 

At  four  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  Rangoon,  having 
gained  a  half  day  on  its  time  table,  put  in  at  Singapore,  to 
take  in  a  new  supply  of  coal. 

Phileas  Fogg  noted  this  gain  in  the  proper  column,  and 
this  time  he  landed,  accompanying  Aouda,  who  had 
expressed  a  desire  to  walk  about  for  a  few  hours.  Fix,  to 
whom  every  act  of  Fogg  seemed  suspicious,  followed  him 
without  letting  himself  be  noticed.  Passepartout,  who  was 
going  to  make  his  ordinary  purchases,  laughed  in  petto  see- 
ing Fix's  maneuver. 

The  island  of  Singapore  is  neither  large  nor  of  an  im- 
posing aspect.  It  is  wanting  in  mountains,  that  is  to  say, 
in  profiles.  However,  it  is  charming  even  in  its  meager- 
ness.  It  is  a  park  laid  out  with  fine  roads.  An  elegant 
carriage,  drawn  by  handsome  horses,  such  as  have  been  im- 
ported from  New  Holland,  took  Aouda  and  Phileas  Fogg 
into  the  midst  of  massive  groups  of  palm  trees,  of  brilliant 
foliage,  and  clove  trees,  the  cloves  of  which  are  formed  from 
the  very  bud  of  the  half  opened  flower.  Bands  of  monkeys, 
lively  and  grimacing,  were  not  wanting  in  the  woods,  nor 
perhaps  tigers  in  the  jungles.  Should  anyone  be  astonished 
to  learn  that  in  this  island,  comparatively  so  small,  these 
terrible  carnivorous  animals  were  not  destroyed  to  the  very 
last  one,  we  may  reply  that  they  come  from  Malacca,  swim- 
ming across  the  straits. 

After  having  driven  about  the  country  for  two  hours, 
Aouda  and  her  companion — who  looked  a  little  without 
seeing  anything — returned  into  the  town,  a  vast  collection 
of  heavy,  flat  looking  houses,  surrounded  by  delightful  gar- 
dens, in  which  grow  mangoes,  pineapples,  and  all  the  best 
fruits  in  the  world.     At  ten  o'clock  they  returned  to  the 


FROM   SINGAPORE   TO    HONG   KONG       231 

steamer,  having  been  followed,  without  suspecting  it,  by  the 
detective,  who  had  also  gone  to  the  expense  of  a  carriage. 

Passepartout  was  waiting  for  them  on  the  deck  of  the 
Rangoon.  The  good  fellow^  had  bought  a  few  dozen  of 
mangoes,  as  large  as  ordinary  apples — dark  brown  outside, 
brilliant  red  inside — and  whose  white  pulp,  melting  in  the 
mouth,  gives  the  true  gourmand  an  unexcelled  enjoyment. 
Passepartout  was  only  too  happy  to  offer  them  to 
Aouda,  who  thanked  him  very  gracefully. 

About  thirteen  hundred  miles  separate  Singapore  from 
the  island  of  Hong  Kong,  a  small  English  territory,  de- 
tached from  the  Chinese  coast.  It  was  Phileas  Fogg's  in- 
terest to  accomplish  this  in  six  days  at  the  most,  in  order 
to  take  at  Hong  Kong  the  steamer  leaving  on  the  6th  of 
November  for  Yokohama,  one  of  the  principal  ports  of 
Japan. 

The  Rangoon  was  heavily  laden.  Many  passengers  had 
come  aboard  at  Singapore — Hindoos,  Ceylonese,  Chinamen, 
Malays  and  Portuguese — mostly  second  class.  The  weather, 
which  had  been  quite  fine  until  this  time,  changed  with  the 
last  quarter  of  the  moon.  The  sea  was  high.  The  wind 
sometimes  blew  a  gale,  but  fortunately  from  the  southeast, 
which  favored  the  movement  of  the  steamer.  When  it  was 
practicable,  the  captain  had  the  sails  unfurled.  The  Ran- 
goon, brig-rigged,  sailed  frequently  with  its  two  topsails  and 
foresail,  and  its  speed  increased  under  the  double  impetus 
of  steam  and  sail.  The  vessel  thus  made  her  way  over  a 
short  and  sometimes  fatiguing  sea,  along  the  shores  of 
Anam  and  Cochin  China. 

But  the  passengers  would  have  to  blame  the  Rangoon 
rather  than  the  ocean  for  their  sickness  and  fatigue.  In 
fact,  the  ships  of  the  Peninsular  Company,  in  the  China 
service,  are  seriously  defective  in  their  construction.  The 
proportion  of  their  draught,  when  loaded,  to  their  depth  of 
hold,  has  been  badly  calculated,  and  consequently  they  stand 
the  sea  but  poorly.  Their  bulk,  closed,  impenetrable  to  the 
water,  is  insufficient.  They  are  "  drowned,"  to  use  a 
maritime  expression,  and,  in  consequence,  it  does  not  take 
very  many  waves  thrown  upon  the  deck  to  slacken  their 
speed. 

Great  precautions  had  to  be  taken  then  in  bad  weather. 
It  was  sometimes  necessary  to  sail  under  a  small  head  of 


232      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

steam.  This  loss  of  time  did  not  seem  to  affect  Phileas 
Fogg  at  all,  but  Passepartout  was  much  put  out  about  it. 
He  blamed  the  captain,  the  engineer,  and  the  company,  and 
sent  to  old  Nick  all  those  who  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
transportation  of  the  passengers.  Perhaps,  also,  the 
thought  of  the  gas  burner  still  burning  at  his  expense  in  the 
house  in  Saville  Row  had  a  large  share  in  his  impatience. 

"  Are  you  in  a  very  great  hurry  to  arrive  at  Hong 
Kong?  "  the  detective  asked  him  one  day. 

"  In  a  very  great  hurry !  "  replied  Passepartout. 

"  You  think  that  Mr.  Fogg  is  in  a  hurry  to  take  the 
Yokohama  steamer?  " 

"  In  a  dreadful  hurry." 

"Then  you  believe  now  in  this  singular  voyage  around 
the  world  ?  " 

"  Absolutely.     And  you,  Monsieur  Fix?  " 

"I?     I  don't  believe  in  it." 

"  You're  a  sly  fellow,"  replied  Passepartout,  winking  at 
him. 

This  expression  left  the  detective  In  a  reverie.  The 
epithet  disturbed  him  without  his  knowing  very  well  why. 
Had  the  Frenchman  guessed  his  purpose?  He  did  not 
know  what  to  think.  But  how  had  Passepartout  been  able 
to  discover  his  capacity  as  a  detective,  the  secret  of  which 
he  alone  knew.  And  yet,  in  speaking  thus  to  him  Passe- 
partout certainly  had  an  after  thought. 

It  happened  another  day  that  the  good  fellow  went 
a  little  further.  It  was  too  much  for  him;  he  could  no 
longer  hold  his  tongue.  "Let  us  see,  Monsieur  Fix,"  he 
asked  his  companion  In  a  roguish  tone,  "  when  we  have  ar- 
rived at  Hong  Kong,  shall  we  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  leave 
you  there?  " 

"  Oh !  "  replied  Fix,  quite  embarrassed,  "  I  do  not  know ! 
Perhaps " 

"  Ah ! "  said  Passepartout,  "  If  you  accompany  us,  I 
would  be  so  happy!  Let  us  see!  An  agent  of  the  Penin- 
sular Company  could  not  stop  on  the  route !  You  were  only 
going  to  Bombay,  and  now  you  will  soon  be  in  China. 
America  Is  not  far  off,  and  from  America  to  Europe  it  is 
only  a  step !  " 

Fix  looked  attentively  at  his  companion,  who  showed  the 
pleasantest  face  in  the  world,  and  he  decided  to  laugh  with 


FROM    SINGAPORE   TO    HONG    KONG       233 

him.  But  the  latter,  who  was  in  the  humor,  asked  him  if 
his  business  brought  him  in  much? 

"  Yes  and  no,"  repHed  Fix  without  frowning.  "  There 
are  fortunate  and  unfortunate  business  enterprises.  But 
you  understand  of  course  that  I  don't  travel  at  my  own  ex- 
pense ! " 

"  Oh !  I  am  very  sure  of  that,"  replied  Passepartout, 
laughing  still  louder. 

The  conversation  finished,  Fix  returned  to  his  cabin,  and 
sat  down  to  think.  He  was  evidently  suspected.  In  one 
way  or  another  the  Frenchman  had  recognized  his  capacity 
as  a  detective.  But  had  he  warned  his  master?  What  ro/^ 
would  he  play  in  all  this?  Was  he  an  accomplice  or  not? 
Had  they  got  wind  of  the  matter,  and  was  it  consequently 
all  up?  The  detective  passed  some  perplexing  hours  there, 
at  one  time  believing  everything  lost;  at  one  time  hoping 
that  Fogg  was  ignorant  of  the  situation;  and,  finally,  not 
knowing  what  course  to  pursue. 

Meanwhile  his  brain  became  calmer,  and  he  resolved  to 
act  frankly  with  Passepartout.  If  matters  were  not  in  the 
proper  shape  to  arrest  Fogg  at  Hong  Kong,  and  if  Fogg  was 
then  prepared  to  leave  finally  the  English  territory,  he  (Fix) 
would  tell  Passepartout  everything.  Either  the  servant  was 
the  accomplice  of  his  master,  and  the  latter  knew  everything, 
and  in  this  case  the  affair  was  definitely  compromised,  or 
the  servant  had  no  part  in  the  robbery,  and  then  his  interest 
would  be  to  abandon  the  robber. 

Such  was  the  respective  situation  of  these  two  men,  and 
above  them  Phileas  Fogg  was  hovering  in  his  majestic  in- 
difference. He  was  accomplishing  rationally  his  orbit 
around  the  world,  without  being  troubled  by  the  asteroids 
gravitating  around  him. 

And  yet,  in  the  vicinity,  there  was — according  to  the  ex- 
pression of  astronomers — a  disturbing  star  which  ought  to 
have  produced  a  certain  agitation  in  this  gentleman's  heart. 
But  no!  The  charm  Aouda  did  not  act,  to  the  great 
surprise  of  Passepartout,  and  the  disturbances,  if  they  ex- 
isted, would  have  been  more  difficult  to  calculate  than  those 
of  Uranus,  which  led  to  the  discovery  of  Neptume.  Yes! 
it  was  a  surprise  every  day  for  Passepartout,  who  read  in 
the  eyes  of  the  young  woman  so  much  gratitude  to  his  mas- 
ter!    Phileas  Fogg  had  decidedly  heart  enough  for  heroic 


234     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

actions,  but  for  love,  none  at  all!  'Ks  for  the  thoughts 
which  the  chances  of  the  journey  might  have  produced  in 
him,  there  was  not  a  trace. 

Passepartout  was  living  in  a  continual  trance.  One  day, 
leaning  on  the  railing  of  the  engine-room,  he  was  looking 
at  the  powerful  engine  which  sometimes  moved  very 
violently,  when,  with  the  pitching  of  the  vessel  the  screw 
would  fly  out  of  the  water.  The  steam  then  escaped  from 
the  valves,  which  provoked  the  anger  of  the  worthy  fellow. 
"  These  valves  are  not  charged  enough !  "  he  cried.  **  We 
are  not  going!  Oh,  these  Englishmen!  If  we  were  only  in 
an  American  vessel,  we  would  blow  up,  perhaps,  but  we 
would  go  more  swiftly!  " 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IN   WHICH   PHILEAS   FOGG,    PASSEPARTOUT,   AND   FIX,   EACH 
GOES  ABOUT  HIS  OWN  BUSINESS 

During  the  last  few  days  of  the  voyage  the  weather  was 
pretty  bad.  The  wind  became  very  boisterous.  Remain- 
ing in  the  northwest  quarter,  it  impeded  the  progress  of  the 
steamer.  The  Rangoon,  too  unsteady  already,  rolled 
heavily,  and  the  passengers  quite  lost  their  temper  over  the 
long,  tiresome  waves  which  the  wind  raised  at  a  distance. 

During  the  days  of  the  3d  and  4th  of  November  it  was 
a  sort  of  tempest.  The  squall  struck  the  sea  with  violence. 
The  Rangoon  had  to  go  slowly  for  half  a  day,  keeping  her- 
self in  motion  with  only  ten  revolutions  of  the  screw,  so  as 
to  lean  with  the  waves.  All  the  sails  had  been  reefed  and 
there  was  still  too  much  rigging  whistling  in  the  squall. 

The  rapidity  of  the  steamer,  it  may  be  imagined,  was 
very  much  diminished,  and  it  was  estimated  that  she  would 
arrive  at  Hong  Kong  twenty  hours  behind  time,  and  per- 
haps more,  if  the  tempest  did  not  cease. 

Phileas  Fogg  looked  intently  at  this  spectacle  of  a  raging 
sea,  which  seemed  to  struggle  directly  against  him,  with 
his  customary  impassibility.  His  brow  did  not  darken  an 
instant,  and  yet  a  delay  of  twenty  hours  might  seriously  in- 
terfere with  his  voyage  by  making  him  miss  the  departure 
of  the  Yokohama  steamer.  But  this  man  without  nerves 
felt  neither  impatience  nor  annoyance.     It  seemed  truly  as 


EACH    GOES   ABOUT   HIS   BUSINESS     235 

if  this  tempest  formed  a  part  of  his  programme,  and  was 
foreseen.  Aouda,  who  talked  with  her  companion  about 
this  mishap,  found  him  as  calm  as  in  the  past. 

Fix  did  not  look  at  these  things  in  the  same  light.  On 
the  contrary,  this  tempest  pleased  him  very  much.  His 
satisfaction  would  have  known  no  bounds,  if  the  Rangoon 
had  been  obliged  to  fly  before  the  violent  storm.  All  these 
delays  suited  him,  for  they  would  oblige  this  man  Fogg  to 
remain  some  days  at  Hong  Kong.  Finally  the  skies  with 
their  squalls  and  tempests  became  his  ally.  He  was  a  little 
sick,  it  is  true,  but  what  did  that  matter?  He  did  not  count 
his  nausea,  and  when  his  body  was  writhing  under  the  sea- 
sickness, his  spirit  was  merry  with  the  height  of  its  satis- 
faction. 

As  for  Passepartout,  it  may  be  guessed  how  illy  con- 
cealed his  anger  was  during  this  time  of  trial.  Until  then, 
everything  had  moved  on  so  well!  Land  and  sea  seemed 
to  be  devoted  to  his  master.  Steamers  and  railways  obeyed 
him.  Wind  and  steam  combined  to  favor  his  journey. 
Had  the  hour  of  mistakes  finally  sounded?  Passepartout, 
as  if  the  tv\^enty  thousand  pounds  of  the  wager  had  to  come 
out  of  his  purse,  was  no  longer  happy.  This  tempest  ex- 
asperated him,  this  squall  put  him  in  a  rage,  and  he  would 
have  gladly  whipped  the  disobedient  sea!  Poor  fellow! 
Fix  carefully  concealed  from  him  his  personal  satisfaction, 
and  it  was  well,  for  if  Passepartout  had  guessed  the  secret 
delight  of  Fix,  Fix  would  have  been  roughly  used. 

Passepartout  remained  on  the  Rangoon's  deck  during  the 
entire  continuance  of  the  blow.  He  could  not  remain  be- 
low; he  climbed  up  in  the  masts;  he  astonished  the  crew 
and  helped  at  everything  with  the  agility  of  a  monkey.  A 
hundred  times  he  questioned  the  captain,  the  officers,  the 
sailors,  who  could  not  help  laughing  at  seeing  him  so  much 
out  of  countenance.  Passepartout  wanted  to  know  posi- 
tively how  long  the  storm  would  last.  They  sent  him  to 
the  barometer,  which  would  not  decide  to  ascend.  Passe- 
partout shook  the  barometer,  but  nothing  came  of  it,  neither 
the  shaking  nor  the  insults  that  he  heaped  upon  the  irrespon- 
sible instrument. 

Finally  the  tempest  subsided.  The  sea  became  calmer  on 
the  4th  of  November.  The  wind  veered  two  points  to  the 
south  and  again  became  favorable.     Passepartout  cleared 


236      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

up  with  the  weather.  The  top  sails  and  lower  sails  could 
be  unfurled,  and  the  Rangoon  resumed  her  route  with  mar- 
velous swiftness. 

But  all  the  time  lost  could  not  be  regained.  They  could 
only  submit,  and  land  was  not  signaled  until  the  6th  at 
five  o'clock  A.  M.  The  diary  of  Phileas  Fogg  put  down 
the  arrival  of  the  steamer  on  the  5th,  and  she  did  not  ar- 
rive until  the  6th,  which  was  a  loss  of  twenty-four  hours, 
and  of  course  they  would  miss  the  Yokohama  steamer. 

At  six  o'clock  the  pilot  came  aboard  the  Rangoon  and 
took  his  place  on  the  bridge  to  guide  the  vessel  through  the 
channels  into  the  port  of  Hong  Kong. 

Passepartout  was  dying  to  ask  this  man  whether  the 
Yokohama  steamer  had  left  Hong  Kong.  But  he  did  not 
dare,  preferring  to  preserve  a  little  hope  until  the  last  mo- 
ment. He  had  confided  his  anxiety  to  Fix,  who — the 
cunning  fox — tried  to  console  him  by  saying  that  Mr.  Fogg 
would  be  in  time  to  take  the  next  boat.  This  put  Passe- 
partout in  a  towering  rage. 

But  if  Passepartout  did  not  venture  to  ask  the  pilot,  Mr. 
Fogg,  after  consulting  his  Bradshaw,  asked  in  his  quiet  man- 
ner of  the  said  pilot  if  he  knew  when  a  vessel  would  leave 
Hong  Kong  for  Yokohama.  "  To-morrow  morning,  at 
high  tide,"  replied  the  pilot. 

"Ah,"  said  Mr.  Fogg,  without  showing  any  astonish- 
ment. 

Passepartout,  who  was  present,  would  have  liked  to  hug 
the  pilot,  whose  neck  Fix  would  have  wrung  with  pleasure. 
"  What  is  the  name  of  the  steamer,"  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  The  Carnatic,"  replied  the  pilot. 

"  Was  she  not  to  leave  yesterday?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  they  had  to  repair  one  of  her  boilers,  and 
her  departure  has  been  put  off  until  to-morrow." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  who,  with  his  automatic 
step,  went  down  again  into  the  saloon  of  the  Rangoon. 

Passepartout  caught  the  pilot's  hand,  and,  pressing  it 
warmly,  said,  "  Pilot,  you  are  a  good  fellow !  " 

The  pilot  doubtless  never  knew  why  his  answers  had  pro- 
cured him  this  friendly  expression.  A  whistle  blew,  and 
he  went  again  upon  the  bridge  of  the  steamer  and  guided 
her  through  the  flotilla  of  junks,  tankas,  fishing-boats,  and 
vessels  of  all  kinds  which  crowded  the  channels  of  Hong 


EACH  GOES  ABOUT  HIS  BUSINESS        237 

Kong.  In  an  hour  the  Rangoon  was  at  the  wharf,  and  the 
passengers  landed. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  in  this  circumstance  chance  had 
singularly  served  Phileas  Fogg.  Without  the  necessity  of 
repairing  her  boilers,  the  Carnatic  would  have  left  on  the 
5th  of  November,  and  the  passengers  for  Japan  would  have 
had  to  wait  a  week  for  the  departure  of  the  next  steamer. 
Mr.  Fogg,  it  is  true,  was  twenty-four  hours  behind  time,  but 
this  delay  could  not  have  any  evil  consequences  for  the  rest 
of  the  journey. 

In  fact,  the  steamer  which  crosses  the  Pacific  from 
Yokohama  to  San  Francisco  was  in  direct  connection  with 
the  Hong  Kong  steamer,  and  the  former  could  not  leave 
before  the  latter  had  arrived.  Evidently  they  would  be 
twenty-four  hours  behind  time  at  Yokohama,  but  it  would 
be  easy  to  make  them  up  during  the  voyage  across  the 
Pacific,  lasting  twenty-two  days.  Phileas  Fogg  found  him- 
self, then,  within  about  twenty- four  hours  of  the  condi- 
tions of  his  programme  thirty-five  days  after  leaving 
London. 

The  Carnatic  not  leaving  until  five  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing, Mr.  Fogg  had  sixteen  hours  to  attend  to  his  business — • 
that  is,  that  which  concerned  Aouda.  On  landing 
from  the  vessel,  he  offered  his  arm  to  the  young  woman  and 
led  her  to  a  palanquin.  He  asked  the  men  who  carried  it 
to  point  him  out  a  hotel,  and  they  named  the  Club  Hotel. 
The  palanquin  started,  followed  by  Passepartout,  and 
twenty  minutes  after  they  arrived  at  their  destination. 

An  apartment  was  secured  for  the  young  woman,  and 
Phileas  Fogg  saw  that  she  was  made  comfortable.  Then 
he  told  Aouda  that  he  was  going  immediately  to  look  for 
the  relative  in  whose  care  he  was  to  leave  her  at  Hong 
Kong.  At  the  same  time  he  ordered  Passepartout  to  re- 
main at  the  hotel  until  his  return,  so  that  the  young  woman 
should  not  be  left  alone. 

The  gentleman  was  shown  the  way  to  the  Exchange. 
There,  they  would  unquestionably  know  a  personage,  such 
as  the  honorable  Jejeeh,  who  was  reckoned  among  the  rich- 
est merchants  of  the  city. 

The  broker  whom  Mr.  Fogg  addressed  did  indeed  know 
the  Parsee  merchant.  But  for  two  years  he  had  not  lived 
in  China.     Having  made  his  fortune,  he  had  gone  to  live  in 


238      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Europe — in  Holland,  it  was  believed,  which  was  explained 
by  the  extensive  correspondence  which  he  had  had  with  that 
country  during  his  life  as  a  merchant. 

Phileas  Fogg  returned  to  the  Club  Hotel.  He  im- 
mediately asked  permission  to  see  Aouda,  and  without 
any  other  preamble,  told  her  that  the  honorable  Jejeeh  was 
no  longer  living  in  Hong  Kong,  but  probably  was  living  in 
Holland. 

Aouda  did  not  reply  at  first.  Passing  her  hand  over  her 
forehead,  she  thought  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  said  in 
her  sweet  voice,  "  What  ought  I  to  do,  Mr.  Fogg?  " 

"  It  is  very  simple,"  replied  the  gentleman.  "  Go  on  to 
Europe." 

"  But  I  cannot  abuse " 

"You  do  not  abuse,  and  your  presence  does  not  at  all 
embarrass  my  programme.     Passepartout !  " 

"  Monsieur,"  replied  Passepartout. 

"  Go  to  the  Carnatic  and  engage  three  cabins." 

Passepartout,  delighted  with  continuing  his  voyage  in  the 
company  of  the  young  woman,  who  was  very  gracious  tO' 
him,  immediately  left  the  Club  Hotel. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

IN  WHICH   PASSEPARTOUT  TAKES  A  LITTLE  TOO  LIVELY  IN- 
TEREST IN   HIS  MASTER,  AND  WHAT  FOLLOWS 

Hong  Kong  is  only  a  small  island  secured  to  England  by 
the  treaty  of  Nanking,  after  the  war  of  1842.  In  a  few 
years,  the  colonizing  genius  of  Great  Britain  had  established 
there  an  important  city,  and  created  the  port  Victoria. 
This  island  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  river,  and 
sixty  miles  only  separate  it  from  the  Portuguese  city  of 
Macao,  built  on  the  other  shore.  Hong  Kong  must  neces- 
sarily vanquish  Macao  in  a  commercial  struggle,  and  now 
the  greatest  part  of  the  Chinese  transportation  is  done 
through  the  English  city.  Docks,  hospitals,  wharves,  ware- 
houses, a  Gothic  cathedral,  a  Government  House,  macadam- 
ized streets,  all  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  one  of  the 
commercial  cities  of  the  counties  of  Kent  or  Surrey,  travers- 
ing the  terrestrial  sphere,  had  found  a  place  at  this  point 
in  China,  nearly  at  its  antipodes. 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    INTEREST  239 

Passepartout,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  sauntered  to- 
,wards  the  port  Victoria,  looking  at  the  palanquins,  the  cur- 
tained carriages  still  in  favor  in  the  Celestial  Empire,  and 
all  the  crowd  of  Chinese,  Japanese,  and  Europeans  hurry- 
ing along  in  the  streets.  In  some  things,  it  was  like  Bom- 
bay, Calcutta,  or  Singapore  that  the  worthy  fellow  was 
finding  again  on  his  route.  There  is  thus  a  track  of  Eng- 
lish towns  all  around  the  world. 

Passepartout  arrived  at  Victoria  port.  There,  at  the 
mouth  of  Canton  river,  was  a  perfect  swarm  of  the  ships 
of  all  nations,  English,  French,  American,  Dutch,  war  and 
merchant  vessels,  Japanese  or  Chinese  craft,  junks,  sempas, 
tankas,  and  even  flower-boats,  which  formed  so  many  par- 
terres floating  on  the  waters.  Walking  along,  Passepartout 
noticed  a  certain  number  of  natives  dressed  in  yellow,  all 
of  quite  advanced  age.  Having  gone  into  a  Chinese  bar- 
ber's to  be  shaved  "  a  la  Chinese,"  he  learned  from  Figaro 
in  the  shop,  who  spoke  pretty  good  English,  that  these  an- 
cient men  were  at  least  eighty  years  old,  and  that  at  this 
age  they  had  the  privilege  of  wearing  yellow,  the  Imperial 
color.  Passepartout  found  this  very  funny,  without  know- 
ing exactly  why. 

His  beard  shaved,  he  repaired  to  the  wharf  from  which 
the  Carnatic  would  leave,  and  there  he  perceived  Fix  walk- 
ing up  and  down,  at  which  he  was  not  at  all  astonished. 
But  the  detective  showed  upon  his  face  marks  of  great  dis- 
appointment. 

"Good!"  said  Passepartout  to  himself;  "that  will  be 
bad  for  the  gentlemen  of  the  Reform  Club!  " 

And  he  accosted  Fix  with  his  merry  smile,  without  seem- 
ing to  notice  the  vexed  air  of  his  companion. 

Now,  the  detective  had  good  reasons  to  fret  about  the 
infernal  luck  which  was  pursuing  him.  No  warrant!  It 
was  evident  that  the  warrant  was  running  after  him,  and 
that  it  could  reach  him  only  if  he  stopped  some  days  in  this 
city.  Now,  Hong  Kong  being  the  last  English  territory 
on  the  route,  this  Mr.  Fogg  would  escape  him  finally,  if  he 
did  not  succeed  in  detaining  him  there. 

"  Well,  Monsieur  Fix,  have  you  decided  to  come  with  us 
as  far  as  America?"  asked  Passepartout. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Fix  between  his  closed  teeth. 

"  Well     then ! "     cried     Passepartout,     shouting     witK 


240      ROUND    THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

laughter.     "  I  knew  very  well  that  you  could  not  separate 
yourself  from  us.     Come  and  engage  your  berth,  come !  " 

And  both  entered  the  ticket  office  and  engaged  cabins  for 
four  persons.  But  the  clerk  told  them  that  the  repairs  of 
the  Carnatic  being  completed,  the  steamer  would  leave  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  not  the  next  morning,  as 
had  been  announced. 

"  Very  good !  "  replied  Passepartout,  "  that  will  suit  my 
master.     I  am  going  to  inform  him." 

At  this  moment  Fix  took  an  extreme  step.  He  deter- 
mined to  tell  Passepartout  everything.  It  was  the  only 
means,  perhaps,  that  he  had  of  retaining  Phileas  Fogg  for  a 
few  days  in  Hong  Kong. 

Leaving  the  office,  Fix  offered  to  treat  his  companion  in 
a  tavern.  Passepartout  had  the  time.  He  accepted  Fix's 
invitation. 

A  tavern  opened  on  the  quay.  It  had  an  inviting  appear- 
ance. Both  entered.  It  was  a  large  room,  finely  decorated, 
at  the  back  of  which  was  stretched  a  camp  bed,  furnished 
with  cushions.  Upon  this  bed  were  lying  a  certain  number 
of  sleepers. 

Some  thirty  customers  in  the  large  room  occupied  small 
tables  of  plaited  rushes.  Some  emptied  pints  of  English 
beer,  ale  or  porter,  others  jugs  of  alcoholic  liquors,  gin,  or 
brandy.  Besides,  the  most  of  them  were  smoking  long, 
red-clay  pipes,  stuffed  with  little  balls  of  opium  mixed  with 
essence  of  rose.  Then,  from  time  to  time,  some  smoker 
overcome  would  fall  down  under  the  table,  and  the  waiters 
of  the  establishment,  taking  him  by  the  head  and  feet, 
carried  him  onto  the  camp-bed,  alongside  of  another. 
Twenty  of  these  sots  were  thus  laid  side  by  side,  in  the  last 
stage  of  brutishness. 

Fix  and  Passepartout  understood  that  they  had  entered 
a  smoking-house  haunted  by  those  wretched,  stupefied,  lean, 
idiotic  creatures,  to  whom  mercantile  England  sells  an- 
nually ten  million  four  hundred  thousand  pounds'  worth  of 
the  fatal  drug  called  opium.  Sad  millions  are  these,  levied 
on  one  of  the  most  destructive  vices  of  human  nature. 

The  Chinese  Government  has  tried  hard  to  remedy  such 
an  abuse  by  severe  laws,  but  in  vain.  From  the  rich  class, 
to  whom  the  use  of  opium  was  at  first  formally  reserved, 
it  has  descended  to  the  lower  classes,  and  its  ravages  can  no 

v.  VII  Verne 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    INTEREST  241 

longer  be  arrested.  Opium  is  smoked  everywhere  and  al- 
ways in  the  Middle  Empire.  Men  and  women  give  them- 
selves up  to  this  deplorable  passion,  and  when  they  are  ac- 
customed to  inhaling  the  fumes  they  can  no  longer  do  with- 
out it,  except  by  suffering  terrible  cramps  in  the  stomach. 
A  great  smoker  can  smoke  as  many  as  eight  pipes  a  day,  but 
he  dies  in  five  years. 

Now  it  was  in  one  of  the  numerous  smoking-houses  of 
this  kind,  which  swarm  even  in  Hong  Kong,  that  Fix  and 
Passepartout  had  entered  with  the  intention  of  refreshing 
themselves.  Passepartout  had  no  money,  but  he  accepted 
willingly  the  "  politeness  "  of  his  companion,  ready  to  re- 
turn it  to  him  at  the  proper  time  and  place. 

They  called  for  two  bottles  of  port,  to  which  the  French- 
man did  full  justice,  whilst  Fix,  more  reserved,  observed 
his  companion  with  the  closest  attention.  They  talked  of 
one  thing  and  another,  and  especially  of  the  excellent  idea 
that  Fix  had  of  taking  passage  on  the  Carnatic.  The 
bottles  now  being  empty.  Passepartout  rose  to  inform  his 
master  that  the  steamer  would  leave  several  hours  in  ad- 
vance of  the  time  announced. 

Fix  detained  him. 

"  One  moment,"  he  said. 

"  What  do  you  wish,  Monsieur  Fix?  " 

"  I  have  some  serious  matters  to  talk  to  you  about." 

"Serious  matters?"  cried  Passepartout,  emptying  the 
few  drops  of  wine  remaining  in  the  bottom  of  his  glass. 
"  Very  well,  we  will  talk  about  them  to-morrow.  I  have 
not  the  time  to-day." 

"  Remain,"  replied  Fix.  "  It  concerns  your  master, 
Phileas  Fogg." 

Passepartout,  at  this  phrase,  looked  attentively  at  his 
questioner.  The  expression  of  Fix's  face  seemed  singular 
to  him.  He  took  a  seat  again.  "  What  have  you  to  say  to 
me?  "  he  asked. 

Fix  placed  his  hand  upon  his  companion's  arm,  and  lov/- 
ering  his  voice,  he  asked  him,  "  You  have  guessed  who  I 


am." 


"  Parbleu !  "  said  Passepartout  smiling. 
"  Then  I  am  going  to  tell  you  everything." 
"Now  that  I  know  everything,  my  friend.     Ah!  that's 
pretty  tough!     But  go  on.     But  first  let  me  tell  you  that 


242      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

these  gentlemen  have  put  themselves  to  very  useless  ex- 
pense." 

"  Useless,"  said  Fix.  "  You  speak  confidently !  It  may 
be  seen  that  you  do  not  know  the  size  of  the  sum ! " 

"  But  I  do  know  it,"  said  Passepartout.  "  Twenty  thou- 
sand pounds ! " 

"  Fifty-five  thousand!  "  replied  Fix,  grasping  the  French- 
man's hand. 

"  What !  "  cried  Passepartout,  "  Monsieur  Fogg  would 
have  dared — Fifty-five  thousand  pounds!  Well,  well! 
All  the  more  reason  that  I  should  not  lose  an  instant,"  he 
added  rising  again. 

"Fifty-five  thousand  pounds!"  replied  Fix,  who  forced 
Passepartout  to  sit  down  again,  after  having  ordered  a  de- 
canter of  brandy, — "  and  if  I  succeed,  I  get  a  reward  of 
two  thousand  pounds.  Do  you  wish  five  hundred  of  them 
on  condition  that  you  help  me  ?  " 

"  Help  you ! "  cried  Passepartout,  whose  eyes  were 
opened  very  wide. 

"  Yes,  help  me  to  detain  Mr.  Fogg  in  Hong  Kong  for  a 
few  days ! " 

"Phew!"  said  Passepartout,  "what  are  you  saying? 
How,  not  satisfied  with  having  my  master  followed,  with 
suspecting  his  faithfulness,  do  these  gentlemen  wish  to 
throw  new  obstacles  in  his  way.     I  am  ashamed  for  them." 

"Ah!  what  do  you  mean  by  that?  "  asked  Fix. 

"  I  mean  that  it  is  simple  indelicacy.  It  is  about  the  same 
as  stripping  Monsieur  Fogg  and  putting  his  money  in  their 
pockets." 

"  Ah !  that  Is  the  very  thing  we  are  coming  to ! " 

"  But  it  is  a  trap !  "  cried  Passepartout — who  was  getting 
lively  under  the  influence  of  the  brandy  with  which  Fix  was 
plying  him,  and  which  he  drank  without  noticing  it — ^"a 
real  trap !     Gentlemen !     Colleagues !  " 

Fix  began  to  be  puzzled. 

"  Colleagues !  "  cried  Passepartout,  "  members  of  the  Re- 
form Club !  You  must  know.  Monsieur  Fix,  that  my  mas- 
ter is  an  honest  man,  and  that,  when  he  has  made  a  bet,  he 
intends  to  win  It  fairly." 

"  But  who  do  you  think  I  am?  "  asked  Fix,  fastening  his 
look  upon  Passepartout. 

"  Parbleu!  an  agent  of  the  members  of  the  Reform  Club 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    INTEREST  243 

with  the  mission  to  interfere  with  my  master's  journey, 
which  is  singularly  humiliating.  So,  although  it  has  been 
some  time  already  since  I  guessed  your  business,  I  have 
taken  good  care  not  to  disclose  it  to  Monsieur  Fogg." 

"  He  knows  nothing .^  "  asked  Fix  quickly. 

"  Nothing,"  answer  Passepartout,  emptying  his  glass  once 
more. 

The  agent  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead.  He  hesi- 
tated before  continuing  the  conversation.  What  ought  he 
to  do?  The  error  of  Passepartout  seemed  sincere,  but  it  ren- 
dered his  plan  more  difficult.  It  was  evident  that  this  young 
man  was  speaking  with  perfect  good  faith,  and  that  he  was 
not  his  master's  accomplice — which  Fix  had  feared. 
"  Well,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  since  he  is  not  his  accomplice, 
he  will  aid  me." 

The  detective  had  the  advantage  a  second  time.  Besides, 
he  had  no  more  time  to  wait.  At  any  cost  Fogg  must  be 
arrested  at  Hong  Kong. 

"  Listen,"  said  Fix,  in  an  abrupt  tone,  *'  listen  carefully 
to  me.  I  am  not  what  you  think,  that  is,  an  agent  of  the 
members  of  the  Reform  Clum " 

*'  Bah ! "  said  Passepartout,  looking  at  him  in  a  jocose 
way. 

"  I  am  a  police  detective,  charged  with  a  mission  by  the 
Metropolitan  Government. 

"  You — a  detective !  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  will  prove  it,"  replied  Fix.  "  Here  is  my] 
commission." 

And  the  agent,  taking  a  paper  from  his  pocket-book, 
showed  his  companion  a  commission  signed  by  the  Commis- 
sioner of  the  Central  Police.  Passepartout  stunned,  unable 
to  articulate  a  word,  looked  at  Fix. 

"  The  bet  of  Mr.  Fogg,"  continued  Fix,  "  is  only  a  pre- 
text of  which  you  are  the  dupes,  you  and  his  colleagues  of 
the  Reform  Club,  for  he  had  an  interest  in  assuring  him- 
self of  your  unconscious  complicity." 

"  But  why?  "  cried  Passepartout. 

"  Listen.  The  28th  of  September,  ultimo,  a  robbery  of 
fifty-five  thousand  pounds  was  committed  at  the  Bank  of 
England,  by  an  individual  whose  description  they  were  able 
to  obtain.  Now,  look  at  this  description,  and  it  is  feature 
for  feature  that  of  Mr.  Fogg." 


244      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

_  "  Humbug !  "  cried  Passepartout,  striking  the  table  with 
his  clenched  fist.  "  My  master  is  the  most  honest  man  in 
the  world !  " 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  replied  Fix.  "  You  are  not  even 
acquainted  with  him.  You  entered  his  service  the  day  of 
his  departure,  and  he  left  precipitately  under  a  senseless 
pretext,  without  trunks,  and  carrying  with  him  a  large  sum 
in  bank  notes!  And  you  dare  to  maintain  that  he  is  an 
honest  man  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes ! ''  repeated  the  poor  fellow  mechanically. 

"  Do  you  wish,  then,  to  be  arrested  as  his  accomplice?  " 

Passepartout  dropped  his  head  in  his  hands.  He  could 
no  longer  be  recognized.  He  did  not  look  at  the  detective. 
Phileas  Fogg,  the  deliverer  of  Aouda,  the  brave  and  gener- 
ous man,  a  robber !  And  yet  how  many  presumptions  there 
were  against  him.  Passepartout  tried  to  force  back  the  sus- 
picions which  would  slip  into  his  mind.  He  would  never 
believe  In  his  master's  guilt. 

"  To  conclude,  what  do  you  want  of  me?  "  said  he  to  the 
detective  by  a  strong  effort. 

"  See  here,"  replied  Fix,  "  I  have  tracked  Mr.  Fogg  to 
this  point,  but  I  have  not  yet  received  the  warrant  of  arrest, 
for  which  I  asked,  from  London.  You  must  help  me,  then, 
to  keep  him  in  Hong  Kong " 

"I!     Help  you!" 

"  And  I  will  share  with  you  the  reward  of  two  thousand 
pounds  promised  by  the  Bank  of  England! " 

*'  Never !  "  replied  Passepartout,  who  wanted  to  rise  and 
fell  back,  feeling  his  reason  and  his  strength  at  once  escap- 
ing him. 

"  Monsieur  Fix,"  he  said,  stammering,  "  even  if  every- 
thing you  have  told  me  should  be  true — if  my  master  should 
be  the  robber  whom  you  seek — which  I  deny — I  have  been 
— I  am  in  his  service — I  have  seen  him  kind  and  generous — • 
betray  him — never — no,  not  for  all  the  gold  in  the  world — 
I  am  from  a  village  where  they  don't  eat  that  kind  of 
bread!" 

"You  refuse?" 

"  I  refuse." 

"  Treat  it  as  if  I  had  said  nothing,"  replied  Fix,  "  and 
let's  take  a  drink." 

"All  right,  let's  take  a  drink!" 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    INTEREST  245 

Passepartout  felt  himself  more  and  more  overcome  by 
intoxication.  Fix,  understanding  that  he  must  at  all 
hazards  separate  him  from  his  master,  wanted  to  finish  him. 
On  the  table  were  a  few  pipes  filled  with  opium.  Fix 
slipped  one  into  Passepartout's  hand,  who  took  it,  lifted 
it  to  his  lips,  lighted  it,  took  a  few  puffs,  and  fell  over,  his 
head  stupefied  under  the  influence  of  the  narcotic. 

"  At  least,"  said  Fix,  seeing  Passepartout  out  of  the  way, 
"  Mr.  Fogg  will  not  be  informed  in  time  of  the  departure 
of  the  Carnatic,  and  if  he  leaves  he  will  at  least  be  without 
this  cursed  Frenchman !  " 

Then  he  left,  after  paying  his  bill. 


CHAPTER  XX 

IN      WHICH      FIX      COMES      IN      DIRECT      CONTACT      WITH 

PHILEAS   FOGG 

During  this  scene,  which  might  perhaps  seriously  inter- 
fere with  his  future,  Mr.  Fogg,  accompanying  Aouda,  was 
taking  a  walk  through  the  streets  of  the  English  town. 
Since  Aouda  accepted  his  offer  to  take  her  to  Europe,  he 
had  to  think  of  all  the  details  necessary  for  so  long  a  jour- 
ney. That  an  Englishman  like  him  should  make  the  tour 
of  the  world  with  a  carpet-bag  in  his  hand,  might  pass;  but 
a  lady  could  not  undertake  such  a  journey  under  the  same 
conditions.  Hence,  the  necessity  of  buying  clothing  and 
articles  necessary  for  the  voyage.  Mr.  Fogg  acquitted 
himself  of  his  task  with  the  quiet  characteristic  of  him,  and 
he  invariably  replied  to  all  the  excuses  and  objections  of  the 
young  woman,  confused  by  so  much  kindness.  "  It  is  the 
interest  of  my  journey;  it  is  in  my  programme." 

The  purchases  made,  Mr.  Fogg  and  the  young  woman  re- 
turned to  the  hotel  and  dined  at  the  table  d'hote,  which  was 
sumptuously  served.  Then  Aouda,  a  little  tired,  went  up 
into  her  room  after  having  shaken  hands  English  fashion 
with  her  imperturbable  deliverer. 

He,  Fogg,  was  absorbed  all  the  evening  in  reading  the 
Times  and  the  Illustrated  London  News.  If  he  had  been 
a  man  to  be  astonished  at  anything  it  would  have  been  not 
to  have  seen  his  servant  at  the  hour  for  retiring.  But  know- 
ing tliat  the  Yokohama  steamer  was  not  to  leave  Hong 


246     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Kong  before  the  next  morning,  he  did  not  otherwise  bother 
himself  about  it.  The  next  morning  Passepartout  did  not 
come  at  Mr.  Fogg's  ring. 

What  the  honorable  gentleman  thought  on  learning  that 
his  servant  had  not  returned  to  the  hotel,  no  one  could  have 
said.  Mr.  Fogg  contented  himself  with  taking  his  carpet- 
bag, calling  for  Aouda  and  sending  for  a  palanquin. 
It  was  then  eight  o'clock,  and  high  tide,  of  which  the  Car- 
natic  was  to  take  advantage  to  go  out  through  the  passes, 
was  put  down  at  half-past  nine. 

When  the  palanquin  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  hotel,  Mr. 
Fogg  and  Aouda  got  into  the  comfortable  vehicle,  and  their 
baggage  followed  them  on  a  wheelbarrow.  Half  an  hour 
later  the  travelers  dismounted  on  the  wharf  and  there 
Phileas  Fogg  learned  that  the  Carnatic  had  left  the  evening 
before. 

Mr.  Fogg,  who  counted  on  finding  at  the  same  time  both 
the  steamer  and  his  servant,  was  compelled  to  do  without 
both.  But  not  a  sign  of  disappointment  appeared  upon  his 
face;  and,  when  Aouda  looked  at  him  with  uneasiness,  he 
contented  himself  with  replying,  "  It  is  an  incident, 
Madame,  nothing  more." 

At  this  moment  a  person  who  had  been  watching  him 
closely  came  up  to  him.  It  was  the  detective,  Fix,  who 
turned  to  him  and  said,  "Are  you  not  like  myself,  sir,  one 
of  the  passengers  of  the  Rangoon,  who  arrived  yesterday?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg  coldly,  "  but  I  have  not 
the  honor " 

"  Pardon  me,  but  I  thought  I  would  find  your  servant 
here." 

"Do  you  know  where  he  is,  sir.?"  asked  the  young 
woman  quickly. 

"  What !  "  replied  Fix,  feigning  surprise,  "  is  he  not  with 
you?" 

"  No,"  replied  Aouda.  "  He  has  not  returned  since 
yesterday.  Has  he  perhaps  embarked  without  us  aboard 
the  Carnatic?'* 

"Without  you,  madame?"  replied  Fix.  "But,  excuse 
my  question,  you  expected  then  to  leave  by  that  steamer?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  too,  madame,  and  I  am  much  disappointed.  The 
Carnatic,  having  completed  her  repairs,  left  Hong  Kong 


FIX   COMES   IN   CONTACT   WITH   FOGG     247 

twelve  hours  sooner  without  warning  anyone,  and  we  must 
now  wait  a  week  for  another  steamer !  " 

Fix  felt  his  heart  jump  for  joy  in  pronouncing  these 
words,  "  a  week."  A  week !  Fogg  detained  a  week  at 
Hong  Kong !  There  would  be  time  to  receive  the  warrant 
of  arrest.  Chance  would  at  last  declare  for  the  representa- 
tive of  the  law. 

It  may  be  judged  then  what  a  stunning  blow  he  received, 
when  he  heard  Phileas  Fogg  say  in  his  calm  voice.  "  But 
there  are  other  vessels  than  the  Carnatic,  it  seems  to  me,  in 
the  port  of  Hong  Kong." 

And  Mr.  Fogg,  offering  his  arm  to  Aouda,  turned  to- 
wards the  docks  in  search  of  a  vessel  leaving.  Fix,  stupe- 
fied, followed.  It  might  have  been  said  that  a  thread  at- 
tached him  to  this  man. 

However,  chance  seemed  really  to  abandon  him  whom  it 
had  served  so  well  up  to  that  time.  Phileas  Fogg,  for  three 
hours,  traversed  the  port  in  every  direction,  decided,  if  it 
was  necessary,  to  charter  a  vessel  to  take  him  to  Yokohama; 
but  he  saw  only  vessels  loading  or  unloading,  which  con- 
sequently could  not  set  sail.     Fix  began  to  hope  again. 

But  Mr.  Fogg  was  not  disconcerted,  and  he  was  going  to 
continue  his  search,  if  he  had  to  go  as  far  as  Macao,  when 
he  was  accosted  by  a  sailor  on  the  end  of  the  pier.  "  Your 
honor  is  looking  for  a  boat?  "  said  the  sailor  to  him,  taking 
off  his  hat. 

"  You  have  a  boat  ready  to  sail  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  Yes,  your  honor,  a  pilot-boat,  the  best  in  the  flotilla." 

"She  goes  fast?" 

"  Between  eight  and  nine  knots  an  hour,  nearly  the  latter. 
Will  you  look  at  her?" 

"  Your  honor  will  be  satisfied.     Is  it  for  an  excursion.?  " 

"  No ;  for  a  voyage." 

"  A  voyage  ?  " 

"  You  will  undertake  to  convey  me  to  Yokohama?  " 

The  sailor,  at  these  words,  stood  with  arms  extended  and 
eyes  starting  from  his  head.  "  Your  honor  is  joking?  " 
he  said, 

"  No,  I  have  missed  the  sailing  of  the  Carnatic,  and  I 
must  be  at  Yokohama  on  the  14th,  at  the  latest,  to  take  the 
steamer  for  San  Francisco." 


248      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

"^  I  regret  it,"  replied  the  pilot,  "  but  it  is  impossible." 

"  I  offer  you  one  hundred  pounds  per  day,  and  a  reward 
of  two  hundred  pounds  if  I  arrive  in  time." 

"  You  are  in  earnest?  "  asked  the  pilot. 

"  Very  much  in  earnest,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

The  pilot  withdrew  to  one  side.  He  looked  at  the  sea, 
evidently  struggling  between  the  desire  to  gain  an  enormous 
sum  and  the  fear  of  venturing  so  far.  Fix  was  in  mortal 
suspense. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Fogg  had  returned  to  Aouda. 
"  You  will  not  be  afraid,  madame?  "  he  asked. 

"  With  you— no,  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  the  young  woman. 

The  pilot  had  come  towards  the  gentleman  again,  and  was 
twisting  his  hat  in  his  hands. 

"  Well,  pilot?  "  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  Well,  your  honor,"  replied  the  pilot,  "  I  can  risk  neither 
my  men,  nor  myself,  nor  yourself,  in  so  long  a  voyage  on  a 
boat  scarcely  twenty  tons,  at  this  time  of  the  year.  Be^ 
sides,  we  would  not  arrive  in  time,  for  it  is  sixteen  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  Hong  Kong  to  Yokohama." 

"  Only  sixteen  hundred,"  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  It  is  the  same  thing." 

Fix  took  a  good  long  breath. 

"  But,"  added  the  pilot,  "  there  might  perhaps  be  a  means 
to  arrange  it  otherwise." 

Fix  did  not  breathe  any  more. 

"  How?  "  asked  Phileas  Fogg. 

"  By  going  to  Nagasaki,  the  southern  extremity  of  Japan, 
eleven  hundred  miles,  or  only  to  Shanghai,  eight  hundred 
miles  from  Hong  Kong.  In  this  last  journey,  we  would 
not  be  at  any  distance  from  the  Chinese  coast,  which  would 
be  a  great  advantage,  all  the  more  so  that  the  currents  run 
to  the  north." 

"  Pilot,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  I  must  take  the  Ameri- 
can mail  steamer  at  Yokohama,  and  not  at  Shanghai  or 
Nagasaki." 

"Why  not?"  replied  the  pilot.  "The  San  Francisco 
steamer  does  not  start  from  Yokohama.  She  stops  there 
and  at  Nagasaki,  but  her  port  of  departure  is  Shanghai 

"  You  are  certain  of  what  you  are  saying?  " 

;;  Certain." 

"And  when  does  the  steamer  leave  Shanghai?" 


?  »> 


t( 


(( 


FIX  COMES  IN  CONTACT  WITH  FOGG    249 

"  On  the  nth,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  We  have 
then  four  days  before  us.  Four  days,  that  is  ninety-six 
hours,  and  with  an  average  of  eight  knots  an  hour,  if  we 
have  good  luck,  if  the  wind  keeps  to  the  southeast,  if  the 
sea  is  calm,  we  can  make  the  eight  hundred  miles  which  sep- 
arate us  from  Shanghai." 

"  And  you  can  leave " 

"  In  an  hour,  time  enough  to  buy  my  provisions  and  hoist 
sail." 

"  It  is  a  bargain — you  are  the  master  of  the  boat?  " 
Yes,  John  Bunsby,  master  of  the  Tankadere." 
Do  you  wish  some  earnest  money  ?  " 
If  it  does  not  inconvenience  your  honor." 

"  Here  are  two  hundred  pounds  on  account — Sir,"  added 
Phileas  Fogg  turning  towards  Fix,  "  if  you  wish  to  take 
advantage -" 

"  Sir,"  answered  Fix  resolutely,  "  I  was  going  to  ask 
this  favor  of  you." 

"  Well.     In  half  an  hour  we  will  be  on  board." 

"  But  this  poor  fellow — "  said  Aouda,  whom  Passe- 
partout's disappearance  worried  very  much. 

"  I  am  going  to  do  all  I  can  to  find  him,"  replied  Phileas 
Fogg. 

And  while  Fix,  nervous,  feverish,  angry,  repaired  to  the 
pilot  boat,  the  two  others  went  to  the  police  station  al  Hong 
Kong.  Phileas  Fogg  gave  there  Passepartout's  description, 
and  left  a  sufficient  sum  to  find  him.  The  same  formality 
was  carried  out  at  the  French  consular  agent's,  and  the 
palanquin  having  stopped  at  the  hotel  where  the  bag- 
gage had  been  taken  took  the  travelers  back  to  the  outer 
pier. 

Three  o'clock  struck.  The  pilot-boat,  No.  43,  her  crew 
on  board,  and  her  provisions  stowed  away,  was  ready  to 
set  sail.  She  was  a  charming  little  schooner  of  twenty  tons 
— this  Tankadcre — with  a  sharp  cut- water,  very  graceful 
shape,  and  long  water  lines.  She  might  tiave  been  called 
a  racing  yacht.  Her  shining  copper  sheathing,  her  gal- 
vanized iron  work,  her  deck  white  as  ivory,  showed  that 
Master  John  Bunsby  knew  how  to  keep  her  in  good  condi- 
tion. Her  two  masts  leaned  a  little  to  the  rear.  She  car- 
ried brigantine-foresail,  storm-jib,  and  standing-jib,  and 
could  rig  up  splendidly  for  a  rear  wind.     She  ought  to  sail 


250      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

wonderfully  well,  and  in  fact  she  had  won  several  prizes 
in  pilot-boat  matches. 

The  crew  of  the  Tankadere  was  composed  of  the  mas- 
ter, John  Bunsby,  and  four  men.  They  were  of  that  class 
of  hardy  sailors  who,  in  all  weathers,  venture  out  in  search 
of  vessels,  and  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  these  sea- 
sons. John  Bunsby,  a  man  about  forty-five  years,  vigorous, 
well  sunburnt,  of  a  lively  expression,  of  an  energetic  face, 
self-reliant,  well  posted  in  his  business,  would  have  inspired 
confidence  in  the  most  timorous. 

Phileas  Fogg  and  Aouda  went  on  board.  Fix  was 
already  there.  They  went  down  by  steps  in  the  rear  of  the 
schooner  into  a  square  cabin,  whose  walls  bulged  out  in  the 
form  of  cots,  above  a  circular  divan.  In  the  middle,  there 
was  a  table  lighted  by  a  hanging  lamp.  It  was  small,  but 
neat. 

"  I  regret  having  nothing  better  to  offer  you,"  said  Mr. 
Fogg  to  Fix,  who  bowed  without  replying. 

The  detective  felt  somewhat  humiliated  by  thus  taking 
advantage  of  Mr.  Fogg's  kindnesses.  "  Surely,"  he  thought, 
"  he  is  a  very  polite  rogue,  but  he  is  a  rogue ! " 

At  ten  minutes  after  three  the  sails  were  hoisted.  The 
English  flag  was  flying  at  the  gaff  of  the  schooner.  The 
passengers  were  seated  on  deck.  Mr.  Fogg  and  Aouda 
cast  a  last  look  at  the  wharf,  in  hopes  of  seeing  Passepartout. 

Fix  was  not  without  apprehension,  for  chance  might  have 
brought  to  this  place  the  unfortunate  young  man  whom  he 
had  so  indignantly  treated,  and  then  an  explanation  would 
have  taken  place,  from  which  the  detective  would  not  have 
got  out  to  advantage.  But  the  Frenchman  did  not  show 
himself,  and  doubtless  the  stupefying  narcotic  still  held  him 
under  its  influence. 

Finally,  Master  John  Bunsby  ordered  a  start,  and  the 
Tankadere,  taking  the  wind  under  her  brigantine,  foresail, 
and  standing  jib,  flew  out  in  the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

PER  OF  THE  "  TANK. 
RISK  OF  LOSING  A  REWARD  OF  TWO  HUNDRED  POUNDS 


IN  WHICH  THE  MASTER  OF  THE  "  TANKADERE  "  RUNS  GREAT 


This  voyage  of  eight  hundred  miles,  undertaken  in  a 
craft  of  twenty  tons,  and  especially  in  th?t  season  of  the 
year,  was  venturesome.  The  Chinese  seas  are  generally 
rough,  exposed  to  terrible  blows,  principally  during  the 
equinoxes,  and  this  was  in  the  first  days  of  November. 

It  would  have  very  evidently  been  to  the  advantage  of 
the  pilot  to  take  his  passengers  as  far  as  Yokohama,  as  he 
was  paid  so  much  per  day.  But  it  would  have  been  great 
imprudence  on  his  part  to  attempt  such  a  voyage  under 
such  conditions,  and  it  was  a  bold  act,  if  not  a  rash  one,  to 
go  as  far  as  Shanghai.  But  John  Bunsby  had  confidence 
in  his  Tankadere,  which  rode  the  waves  like  a  gull,  and  per- 
haps he  was  not  wrong. 

During  the  later  hours  of  this  day  the  Tankadere  sailed 
through  the  capricious  channels  of  Hong  Kong,  and,  in  all 
her  movements,  from  whatever  quarter  the  wind  came,  she 
behaved  handsomely. 

"  I  do  not  need,  pilot,"  said  Phileas  Fogg,  the  moment 
the  schooner  touched  the  open  sea,  ''  to  recommend  to  you 
all  possible  diligence." 

"  Your  honor  may  depend  upon  me,"  replied  John 
Bunsby.  "  In  the  matter  of  sails,  we  are  carrying  all  that 
the  wind  will  allow  us  to  carry.  Our  poles  would  add  noth- 
ing, and  would  only  interfere  with  the  sailing  of  our  craft." 

"  It  is  your  trade,  and  not  mine,  pilot,  and  I  trust  to 
you." 

Phileas  Fogg,  his  body  erect,  and  legs  wide  apart,  stand- 
ing straight  as  a  sailor,  looked  at  the  surging  sea  without 
staggering.  The  young  woman  seated  aft,  felt  quite  af- 
fected looking  at  the  ocean,  already  darkened  by  the  twi- 
light, which  she  was  braving  upon  so  frail  a  craft.  Above 
her  head  were  unfurled  the  white  sails,  looking  in  space  like 
immense  wings.  The  schooner,  impelled  by  the  wind, 
seemed  to  fly  through  the  air. 

Night  set  in.  The  moon  was  entering  her  first  quarter, 
and  her  scanty  light  was  soon  extinguished  in  the  haze  of 
the  horizon.  Clouds  were  rising  from  the  east,  and  already 
covered  a  portion  of  the  heavens. 

The  pilot  had  put  his  lights  in  position — an  indispensable 

251 


252      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

precaution  to  take  in  these  seas,  so  much  frequented  by  ves- 
sels bound  landward.  Collisions  were  not  rare,  and  at  the 
rate  she  was  going,  the  schooner  would  be  shattered  by  the 
least  shock. 

Fix  was  dreaming  forward  on  the  vessel.  He  kept  him- 
self apart,  knowing  Fogg  naturally  to  be  not  much  of  a 
talker.  Besides,  he  hated  to  speak  to  this  man,  whose  ac- 
commodations he  had  accepted.  He  was  thinking  thus  of 
the  future.  It  appeared  certain  to  him  that  Mr.  Fogg 
would  not  stop  at  Yokohama,  that  he  would  immediately 
take  the  San  Francisco  steamer  to  reach  America,  whose 
vast  extent  would  assure  him  impunity  with  security.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  Phileas  Fogg's  plan  could  not  be  sim- 
pler. 

Instead  of  embarking  in  England  for  the  United  States, 
like  a  common  rogue,  this  Fogg  had  made  the  grand  rounds, 
and  traversed  three-quarters  of  the  globe,  in  order  to  gain 
more  surely  the  American  continent,  where  he  would  quietly 
consume  the  large  sum  stolen  from  the  bank,  after  having 
thrown  the  police  off  his  track.  But,  once  upon  the  soil 
of  the  United  States,  what  would  Fix  do?  Abandon  this 
man.?  No,  a  hundred  times  no!  And  until  he  had  ob- 
tained an  extradition  order  he  would  not  leave  him  for  an 
instant.  It  was  his  duty,  and  he  would  fulfill  it  to  the  end. 
In  any  event  one  happy  result  had  been  obtained.  Passe- 
partout was  no  longer  with  his  master;  and,  especially  after 
the  confidence  Fix  had  reposed  in  him,  it  was  important 
that  the  master  and  servant  should  never  see  each  other 
again. 

Phileas  Fogg  was  constantly  thinking  of  his  servant,  who 
had  disappeared  so  singularly.  After  having  thought  over 
everything,  it  seemed  not  impossible  to  him  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  misunderstanding,  the  poor  fellow  had  set  sail 
upon  the  Carnatic  at  the  last  moment.  It  was  the  opinion 
of  Aouda  also,  who  regretted  very  much  this  good  servant, 
to  whom  she  owed  so  much.  It  might  be  that  they  would 
find  him  again  at  Yokohama,  and  if  the  Carnatic  had  taken 
him  thither,  it  would  be  easy  to  find  it  out. 

Towards  ten  o'clock  the  breeze  began  to  freshen.  Per- 
haps it  would  have  been  prudent  to  take  in  a  reef,  but  the 
pilot,  having  carefully  examined  the  state  of  the  heavens, 
left  the  rigging  as  it 'was.     Besides,  the  Tankadere  carried 


THE    MASTER   OF    THE    "  TANKADERE "     253 

sail  admirably,  having  a  deep  draft  of  water,  and  every- 
thing was  prepared  to  go  rapidly,  in  case  of  a  gale. 

At  midnight  Phileas  Fogg  and  Aouda  descended  into 
the  cabin.  Fix  had  preceded  them,  and  was  stretched 
on  one  of  the  cots.  As  for  the  pilot  and  his  men,  they  re- 
mained on  deck  all  night. 

The  next  day,  the  8th  of  November,  at  sunrise,  the 
schooner  had  made  more  than  one  hundred  miles.  Her 
course,  frequently  tried,  showed  that  the  average  of  her 
speed  was  between  eight  and  nine  knots  an  hour.  The 
Tankadere  carried  full  sail,  and  in  this  rig  she  obtained  the 
maximum  of  rapidity.  H  the  wind  kept  the  same,  the 
chances  were  in  her  favor. 

The  Tankadere,  during  the  whole  day,  did  not  go  far 
from  the  coast,  whose  currents  were  favorable  to  her,  and 
which  was  five  miles  off  at  the  most  from  her  larboard  quar- 
ter, and  irregularly  outlined  appeared  sometimes  across 
the  clearings.  The  wind  coming  from  the  land  was,  on 
that  account,  not  quite  so  strong,  a  fortunate  circumstance 
for  the  schooner,  for  vessels  of  a  small  tonnage  suffer  above 
all  from  the  roll  of  the  sea  which  interferes  with  their 
speed,  "  killing  "  them,  to  use  the  sailors'  expression. 

Towards  noon  the  breeze  abated  a  little  and  set  in  from 
the  southeast.  The  pilot  put  up  his  poles;  but  at  the  end 
of  two  hours  it  was  necessary  to  take  them  down,  as  the 
wind  freshened  up  again. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  the  young  woman,  very  fortunately  unaf- 
fected by  seasickness,  ate  with  a  good  appetite  the  preserves 
and  ship  biscuit.  Fix  was  invited  to  share  their  repast,  and 
was  compelled  to  accept,  knowing  very  well  that  it  is  as 
necessary  to  ballast  stomachs  as  vessels,  but  it  vexed  him! 
To  travel  at  this  man's  expense,  to  be  fed  from  his  pro- 
visions, was  rather  against  his  grain.  He  ate,  daintily,  it 
is  true,  but  finally  he  ate. 

However,  this  repast  finished,  he  took  Mr.  Fogg  aside 
and  said  to  him :  "  Sir " 

This  "sir"  scorched  his  lips,  and  he  controlled  himself 
so  as  not  to  collar  this  "  gentleman  " !  "  Sir,  you  have 
been  very  kind  to  offer  me  a  passage  on  your  vessel.  But, 
although  my  resources  do  not  permit  me  to  expend  as  freely 
as  you,  I  intend  to  pay  my  share " 

"  Let  us  not  speak  of  that,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 


254      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 
"  But,  if  I  insist " 


"  No,  sir,"  repeated  Fogg,  in  a  tone  which  did  not  admit 
of  reply.     "  That  will  enter  into  the  general  expenses." 

Fix  bowed;  he  had  a  stifling  feeling,  and  going  forward, 
he  lay  down,  and  did  not  say  a  word  more  during  the  day. 

In  the  meantime  they  were  moving  on  rapidly.  John 
Bunsby  had  high  hopes.  He  said  to  Mr.  Fogg  several 
times  that  they  would  arrive  at  Shanghai  at  the  desired 
time.  Mr.  Fogg  simply  replied  that  he  counted  on  it.  The 
whole  crew  went  to  work  in  earnest.  The  reward  enticed 
these  good  people.  So  there  was  not  a  sheet  which  was  not 
conscientiously  tightened !  Not  a  sail  which  was  not  vig- 
orously hoisted!  Not  a  lurch  for  which  the  man  at  the 
helm  could  be  blamed.  They  would  not  have  maneuvered 
more  rigorously  in  a  regatta  of  the  Royal  Yacht  Club. 

In  the  evening,  the  pilot  marked  on  the  log  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Hong  Kong,  and 
Phileas  Fogg  might  hope  that  on  arriving  at  Yokohama 
he  would  not  have  to  note  any  delay  in  his  journal.  Thus, 
the  first  serious  mischance  that  he  had  suffered  since  his 
departure  from  London  would  probably  not  affect  his  jour- 
ney worth  mentioning. 

During  the  night,  towards  the  early  morning  hours,  the 
Tankadere  entered,  without  difficulty,  the  Straits  of  Fo 
Kien,  which  separate  the  large  Island  of  Formosa  from 
the  Chinese  coast,  and  she  crossed  the  Tropic  of  Cancer. 
The  sea  was  very  rough  in  these  straits,  full  of  eddies 
formed  by  counter-currents.  The  schooner  labored  heavily. 
The  short  waves  broke  her  course.  It  became  very  difficult 
to  stand  upon  the  deck. 

With  daybreak,  the  wind  became  fresher.  There  was  the 
appearance  of  a  squall  in  the  heavens.  Besides,  the  barom- 
eter announced  a  speedy  change  of  the  atmosphere;  its  daily 
movement  was  irregular,  and  the  mercury  oscillated  capri- 
ciously. The  sea  was  seen  rising  towards  the  southeast  in 
long  swells,  betokening  a  tempest.  The  evening  before  the 
sun  had  set  in  a  red  haze,  amid  the  phosphorescent  scintilla- 
tions of  the  ocean. 

The  pilot  examined  the  threatening  aspect  of  the  sky  for 
a  long  time,  and  muttered  between  his  teeth  indistinctly. 
At  a  certain  moment,  finding  himself  near  his  passenger, 
he  said  in  a  low  voice :  "  Can  I  speak  freely  to  your  honor?  " 


THE    MASTER    OF   THE    "  TANKADERE "     255 

"  You  can,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

"  Well,  we  are  going  to  have  a  squall." 

"  Will  it  come  from  the  north  or  the  south,"  asked  Mr. 
Fogg  simply. 

"  From  the  south.     See.     A  typhoon  is  coming  up." 

"  Good  for  the  typhoon  from  the  south,  since  it  will  send 
us  in  the  right  direction,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"If  you  take  it  so,"  replied  the  pilot,  "  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say." 

John  Bunsby's  presentiments  did  not  deceive  him.  At  a 
less  advanced  season  of  the  year,  the  typhoon,  according 
to  the  expression  of  a  celebrated  meteorologist,  would  have 
passed  off  like  a  luminous  cascade  of  electric  flames,  but  in 
November  it  was  to  be  feared  that  it  would  burst  with 
violence. 

The  pilot  took  his  precautions  in  advance.  He  had  all  the 
schooner's  sails  reefed,  and  the  yards  brought  on  deck. 
The  pole-masts  were  dispensed  with.  All  hands  went  for- 
ward. The  hatches  were  carefully  fastened.  Not  a  drop 
of  water  could  then  enter  the  hull  of  the  vessel.  A  single 
triangular  sail,  a  foresail  of  strong  canvas,  was  hoisted  as 
a  storm-jib,  so  as  to  hold  the  schooner  to  the  wind  behind. 
And  they  waited. 

John  Bunsby  had  begged  his  passengers  to  go  down  into 
the  cabin ;  but  in  the  narrow  space,  almost  deprived  of  air, 
and  knocked  about  by  the  waves,  this  imprisonment  had 
in  it  nothing  agreeable.  Neither  Mr.  Fogg,  nor  Aouda,  nor 
even  Fix  was  contented  to  leave  the  deck. 

Towards  eight  o'clock  the  storm  of  rain  and  wind  struck 
the  deck.  With  nothing  but  her  little  bit  of  sail,  the  Tanka- 
dere  was  raised  like  a  feather  by  the  wind,  the  violence  of 
which  could  not  well  be  described  in  words.  Compare  her 
speed  to  quadruple  that  of  a  locomotive  rushing  along  under 
full  head  of  steam,  and  it  would  still  be  below  the  truth. 

During  the  whole  day  the  vessel  ran  on  thus  towards  the 
north,  carried  by  the  tremendous  waves,  preserving,  fortu- 
nately, a  rapidity  equal  to  theirs.  Twenty  times  she  was 
almost  submerged  by  these  mountains  of  water  which  rose 
upon  her  from  the  rear,  but  an  adroit  turn  of  the  helm  by 
the  pilot  warded  off  the  catastrophe.  The  passengers  were 
sometimes  covered  all  over  by  the  showers  of  spray,  which 
they  received  philosophically.     Fix  did  not  like  it,  doubt- 


256      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

less,  but  the  intrepid  Aouda,  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  her 
companion,  whose  coolness  she  could  only  admire,  showed 
herself  worthy  of  him,  and  braved  the  storm  at  his  side.  As 
for  Phileas  Fogg,  it  seemed  as  if  this  typhoon  formed  a 
part  of  his  programme. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Tankadere  had  always  held  her  course 
towards  the  north ;  but,  toward  evening,  as  might  have  been 
feared,  the  wind,  shifting  three-quarters,  blew  from  the 
northwest.  The  schooner,  now  having  her  side  to  the 
waves,  was  terribly  shaken.  The  sea  struck  her  with  a 
violence  well  calculated  to  terrify  anyone  who  does 
not  know  how  solidly  every  part  of  a  vessel  is  fastened 
together. 

With  nightfall  the  tempest  grew  wilder.  Seeing  dark- 
ness come  on,  and  with  it  the  increase  of  the  storm,  John 
Bunsby  felt  great  uneasiness.  He  asked  himself  if  it  would 
not  be  time  to  put  in  somewhere,  and  he  consulted  his  crew. 

His  men  consulted,  John  Bunsby  approached  Mr.  Fogg, 
and  said  to  him :  "  I  belive,  your  honor,  that  we  would  do 
well  to  make  one  of  the  ports  of  the  coast." 

"  I  believe  so,  also,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

"Ah!"  said  the  pilot,  "but  which  one?" 

"  I  only  know  one,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg  quietly. 

"And  that  is ?" 

"  Shanghai !  " 

The  pilot  could  not  at  first  comprehend  for  a  few  mo- 
ments what  this  answer  meant;  how  much  obstinacy  and 
tenacity  it  comprised.  Then  he  cried:  "  Ah,  well,  yes !  your 
honor  is  right.     On  to  Shanghai !  " 

And  the  diretcion  of  the  Tankadere  was  unwaveringly 
kept  to  the  north. 

It  was  truly  a  terrible  night!  It  was  a  miracle  that  the 
little  craft  did  not  capsize.  Twice  she  was  submerged, 
and  everything  would  have  been  carried  off  the  deck,  if  the 
fastening  of  the  ropes  had  given  way.  Aouda  was  worn 
out,  but  she  did  not  utter  a  complaint.  More  than  once 
Mr.  Fogg  had  to  rush  towards  her  to  protect  her  from  the 
violence  of  the  waves. 

Daylight  reappeared.  The  tempest  was  still  raging  with 
the  greatest  fury.  However,  the  wind  fell  again  into  the 
southeast.  It  was  a  favorable  change,  and  the  Tankadere 
resumed  her  way  on  this  high  sea,  whose  waves  then  struck 

V.  VII  Verne 


.^  rov 


rj^'T-    n  A  \*c 


.  unii  LVi 


yxiuuu^ 


ir  had  always  held  !i . 
evening,  as  might  ha\ 
'.e  wir  ee-quarters,  blew  frc 

.V   having  her  side 
i.he  sea  struck  her 
terrify    anyone    whc 
.         :   of  a-  vessel  is  f: 

„.^„  :  ,   :si;  crrew  wilder.     Seeinir  dark- 

PASSEPART^q^  ,RETRJH<M^  -tfiT^TSELfcrm,  John 

house.     But  in  what  a  condition  '     1^;  hai^i Lv^  ■  ^1-  &^,^ ^tev^Waa's 
running   as    has    never    been    s^etrYn   !^  '^'''"^^'' '^^^'tf^-'^-^i^n"'"^ 

passers-b,,  rushin,  nlon^tS  J!::^i^:^:^f^^^^rup.enin, 

He  could  not  speak. 

"What  is  the  matter.?"  asked  Mr.  Fogg.-Page  340. 


I  voiir 


unwaveringly 


How 
way  on  this  hu;  ives  then  struck 


THE    MASTER   OF   THE    "TANKADERE"    257 

those  produced  by  the  new  direction  of  the  wind.  Thence 
a  shock  of  counter-roHing  waves,  which  would  have  crushed 
a  less  sohdly  built  bark. 

From  time  to  time  through  the  broken  mist  the  coast 
could  be  perceived,  but  not  a  ship  in  sight.  The  Tankadere 
was  the  only  one  keeping  the  sea. 

At  noon  there  were  some  signs  of  a  calm,  which,  with 
the  sinking  of  the  sun  towards  the  horizon,  were  more  dis- 
tinct. The  short  duration  of  the  tempest  was  owing  to  its 
very  violence.  The  passengers,  completely  worn  out,  could 
eat  a  little  and  take  some  rest. 

The  night  was  comparatively  quiet.  The  pilot  had  the 
sails  again  hoisted  at  a  low  reef.  The  speed  of  the  vessel 
was  considerable.  The  next  day,  the  nth,  at  day-dawn, 
the  coast  being  sighted,  John  Bunsby  was  able  to  assert 
that  they  were  not  one  hundred  miles  from  the  wharfs  at 
Shanghai. 

_  One  hundred  miles,  and  only  this  day  left  to  make  the 
distance!  That  very  evening  Mr.  Fogg  ought  to  arrive  at 
Shanghai,  if  he  did  not  wish  to  miss  the  departure  of  the 
Yokohama  steamer.  Without  this  storm,  during  which  he 
lost  several  hours,  he  would  not,  at  this  moment,  have  been 
thirty  miles  from  port. 

The  breeze  sensibly  slackened,  but  fortunately  the  sea  fell 
with  it.  The  schooner  was  covered  with  canvas.  Poles, 
stay-sails,  counter-jibs,  all  were  carried,  and  the  sea  foamed 
under  her  keel. 

At  noon,  the  Tankadere  was  not  more  than  forty-five 
miles  from  Shanghai.  She  had  six  hours  more  to  make 
that  port  before  the  departure  of  the  steamer  for  Yoko- 
hama. 

The  fears  of  all  were  great;  they  wanted  to  arrive  at  any 
cost.  All  felt  their  hearts  impatiently  beating — Phileas 
Fogg  doubtless  excepted.  The  little  schooner  must  keep  up 
an  average  of  nine  knots  an  hour,  and  the  wind  was  con- 
stantly going  down!  It  was  an  irregular  breeze,  with  ca- 
pricious puffs  coming  from  the  coast.  They  passed,  and 
the  sea  became  more  smooth  immediately  after. 

But  the  vessel  was  so  light,  and  her  high  sails,  of  a  fine 
material,  caught  the  capricious  breeze  so  well  that,  with  the 
current  in  their  favor,  at  six  o'clock  John  Bunsby  counted 
only  ten  miles  to  Shanghai  river,  for  the  city  itself  is  situ- 


258      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

ated  at  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  at  least  above  the  mouth. 
At  seven  o'clock  they  were  still  three  miles  from  Shanghai. 
A  formidable  oath  escaped  from  the  pilot's  lips.  It  was 
evident  that  the  reward  of  two  hundred  pounds  was  going 
to  slip  from  him.  He  looked  at  Mr.  Fogg.  Mr.  Fogg  was 
impassible,  and  yet  his  whole  fortune  was  at  stake  at  this 
moment. 

At  this  moment,  too,  a  long,  black  funnel,  crowned  with 
a  wreath  of  smoke,  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the  water. 
It  was  the  American  steamer  going  at  the  regular  hour. 
"Maledictions  on  her!"  cried  John  Bunsby,  who  pushed 
back  the  rudder  desperately. 

"  Signal  her !  "  said  Phileas  Fogg,  simply. 

A  small  brass  cannon  stood  on  the  forward  deck  of  the 
Tankadere.     It  served  to  make  signals  in  hazy  weather. 

The  cannon  was  loaded  to  the  muzzle,  but  at  the  moment 
that  the  pilot  was  going  to  apply  a  red-hot  coal  to  the  touch- 
hole,  Mr.  Fogg  said :  "  Hoist  your  flag." 

The  flag  was  hoisted  half-mast.  It  was  a  signal  of  dis- 
tress, and  it  was  to  be  hoped  that  the  American  steamer, 
perceiving  it,  would  change  her  course  for  a  moment  to  as- 
sist the  little  craft. 

"  Fire! "  said  Mr.  Fogg.  And  the  booming  of  the  little 
cannon  sounded  through  the  air. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN  WHICH  PASSEPARTOUT  SEES  VERY  WELL  THAT,  EVEN  AT 
THE  ANTIPODES,  IT  IS  PRUDENT  TO  HAVE  SOME  MONEY 

IN  one's  POCKET 

The  Carnatlc,  having  left  Hong  Kong  on  the  6th  of  No- 
vember, at  half  past  six  p.  m.,  turned  under  full  head  of 
steam  towards  the  Japanese  shores.  She  carried  a  full  load 
of  freight  and  passengers.  Two  cabins  aft  were  unoccu- 
pied.    They  were  the  ones  retained  for  Mr.  Phileas  Fogg. 

The  next  morning  the  men  in  the  forward  part  of  the 
vessel  saw,  not  without  some  surprise,  a  passenger,  with 
half-stupefied  eyes  and  disordered  head,  coming  out  of 
the  second  cabin,  and  with  tottering  steps  taking  a  seat  on 
deck. 

This  passenger  was  Passepartout  himself.     This  is  what 


IT  IS  PRUDENT  TO  HAVE  MONEY        259 

had  happened:  Some  minutes  after  Fix  le^t  the  smoking- 
house  two  waiters  raised  Passepartout,  who  was  in  a  deep 
sleep,  and  laid  him  on  the  bed  reserved  for  the  smokers. 
But,  three  hours  later,  Passepartout,  pursued  even  in  his 
bad  dreams  by  a  fixed  idea,  woke  again  and  struggled 
against  the  stupefying  action  of  the  narcotic.  The  thought 
of  unaccomplished  duty  shook  off  his  torpor.  He  left  this 
drunkard's  bed,  reeling,  supporting  himself  by  the  wall,  fall- 
ing and  rising,  but  always  and  irresistibly  urged  on  by  a  sort 
of  instinct.  He  finally  went  out  of  the  smoking-house,  cry- 
ing in  a  dream,  "  The  Carnatic!  the  Carnatic! " 

The  steamer  was  there,  steam  up,  ready  to  leave.  Passe- 
partout had  only  a  few  steps  to  go.  He  rushed  upon  the 
plank,  crossed  it,  and  fell  unconscious  on  the  forward  deck 
at  the  very  moment  that  the  Carnatic  was  slipping  her  moor- 
ings. 

Some  of  the  sailors,  as  men  accustomed  to  these  kind  of 
scenes,  took  the  poor  fellow  down  into  a  second  cabin,  and 
Passepartout  only  waked  the  next  morning,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  the  Chinese  coast. 

This  is  then  why  Passepartout  found  himself  this  morn- 
ing on  the  Carnatic's  deck,  taking  full  draughts  of  the  fresh 
sea  breezes.  The  pure  air  sobered  him.  He  commenced 
to  collect  his  ideas,  but  he  did  not  succeed  without  difficulty. 
But,  finally,  he  recalled  the  scenes  of  the  day  before,  the  con- 
fidences of  Fix,  the  smoking-house,  etc. 

"  It  is  evident,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  that  I  have  been 
abominably  drunk!  What  will  Mr.  Fogg  say?  In  any 
event  I  have  not  missed  the  steamer,  and  this  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing." 

Then,  thinking  of  Fix,  he  said  to  himself:  "  As  for  him, 
I  hope  we  are  now  rid  of  him,  and  that  he  has  not  dared, 
after  what  he  proposed  to  me,  to  follow  us  on  the  Carnatic. 
A  police  detective  on  my  master's  heels,  accused  of  the  rob- 
bery committed  upon  the  Bank  of  England !  Pshaw !  Mr. 
Fogg  is  as  much  a  robber  as  I  am  a  murderer ! " 

Ought  Passepartout  to  tell  these  things  to  his  master? 
Would  it  be  proper  to  inform  him  of  the  part  played  by  Fix 
in  this  affair?  Would  it  not  be  better  to  wait  until  his  re- 
turn to  London,  to  tell  him  that  an  agent  of  the  Metropolitan 
Police  had  followed  him,  and  then  have  a  laugh  with  him  ? 
Yes,  doubtless.     In  any  event,  it  was  a  matter  to  be  looked 


26o     ROUxND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

into.     The  most  pressing  thing  was  to  rejoin  Mr.  Fogg  and 
beg  him  to  pardon  him  for  his  inexcusable  conduct. 

Passepartout  then  rose.  The  sea  was  rough,  and  the  ship 
rolled  heavily.  The  worthy  fellow — his  legs  not  very  steady 
yet — reached  as  well  as  he  could  the  after-deck  of  the  ship. 
He  saw  no  one  on  the  deck  that  resembled  either  his  master 
or  Aouda. 

"  Good,"  said  he.  "  Aouda  is  still  abed  at  this  hour. 
As  for  Mr.  Fogg,  he  has  probably  found  some  whist  player, 

and  according  to  his  habit " 

So  saying,  Passepartout  descended  to  the  saloon.  Mr. 
Fogg  was  not  there.  Passepartout  had  but  one  thing  to 
do :  to  ask  the  purser  which  cabin  Mr.  Fogg  occupied.  The 
purser  replied  that  he  did  not  know  any  passenger  of  that 
name. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Passepartout,  persisting.  "  The  gen- 
tleman in  question  is  tall,  cold,  non-communicative,  accom- 
panied by  a  young  lady " 

"  We  have  no  young  lady  on  board,"  replied  the  purser. 
"  To  convince  you,  here  is  the  list  of  passengers.  You  can 
examine  it." 

Passepartout  looked  over  the  list.     His  master's  name 
did  not  appear.     He  felt  bewildered.     Then  an  idea  struck 
him.    "  Ah !  but  see !    Am  I  on  the  Carnatic?  "  he  cried. 
"  Yes,"  replied  the  purser. 
"En  route  for  Yokohama.'^" 
"  Exactly  so." 

Passepartout  had  for  a  moment  feared  that  he  had  mis- 
taken the  vessel!  But  though  he  was  on  the  Carnatic,  he 
was  certain  that  his  master  was  not  there  for  he  had  not 
seen  him. 

Passepartout  dropped  into  an  arm-chair.  It  was  a  thun- 
der stroke  for  him.  And  suddenly,  there  was  a  gleam  of 
light.  He  recollected  that  the  hour  of  departure  for  the 
Carnatic  had  been  anticipated,  that  he  was  to  notify  his 
master,  and  that  he  had  not  done  it !  It  was  his  fault,  then, 
if  Mr.  Fogg  and  Aouda  had  missed  this  steamer! 

His  fault,  yes,  but  still  more  that  of  the  traitor  who,  to 
separate  him  from  his  master,  to  keep  the  latter  in  Hong 
Kong,  had  made  him  drunk!  For  at  last  he  understood  the 
detective's  maneuver.  And  now  Mr.  Fogg  surely  ruined, 
his  bet  lost,  arrested,  perhaps  imprisoned !    Passepartout  at 


IT  IS  PRUDENT  TO  HAVE  MONEY        261 


this  thought  tore  his  hair.  Ah!  if  Fix  ever  fell  into  his 
hands,  what  a  settlement  of  accounts  there  would  be! 

Finally,  after  the  first  moment  of  bewilderment.  Passe- 
partout recovered  his  coolness  and  studied  the  situation.  It 
was  not  enviable.  The  Frenchman  was  on  the  road  to 
Japan.  Certain  of  arriving  there,  how  was  he  to  get  away? 
His  pocket  was  empty.  Not  a  shilling,  not  a  penny  in  it! 
However,  his  passage  and  meals  on  board  were  paid  in  ad- 
vance. He  had  then  five  or  six  days  to  come  to  a  decision. 
It  could  not  be  described  how  he  ate  and  drank  during  the 
voyage.  He  ate  for  his  master,  for  Aouda,  and  for 
himself.  He  ate  as  if  Japan,  where  he  was  going  to  land, 
was  a  desert  country,  bare  of  every  eatable  substance. 

At  high  tide  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  the  Carnatic 
entered  the  port  of  Yokohama.  This  place  is  an  important 
stopping  point  in  the  Pacific,  where  all  the  mail  and  pas- 
senger steamers  between  North  America,  China,  Japan,  and 
the  Malay  Islands  put  in.  Yokohama  is  situated  on  the 
Bay  of  Yeddo,  at  a  short  distance  from  that  immense  city, 
the  second  capital  of  the  Japanese  empire,  formerly  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Tycoon,  at  the  time  that  civil  emperor  existed, 
and  the  rival  of  Miako,  the  largest  city  in  which  the 
Mikado,  the  ecclesiastical  emperor,  the  descendant  of  the 
gods,  lives. 

The  Carnatic  came  alongside  the  wharf  at  Yokohama 
near  the  jetties  of  the  port  and  the  custom  house,  in  the 
midst  of  the  numerous  vessels  belonging  to  all  nations. 

Passepartout  set  foot,  without  any  enthusiasm,  on  this  so 
curious  soil  of  the  Sons  of  the  Sun.  He  had  nothing  bet- 
ter to  do  than  to  take  chance  for  his  guide,  and  to  go  at  a 
venture  through  the  streets  of  the  city. 

He  found  himself  at  first  in  an  absolutely  European  city, 
with  its  low  front  houses,  ornamented  with  verandas,  under 
which  showed  elegant  peristyles.  This  city,  covered  with 
its  streets,  its  squares,  its  docks,  its  w^arehouses,  the  entire 
space  comprised  between  "  Treaty  Promontory "  and  the 
river.  There,  as  at  Hong  Kong,  and  as  at  Calcutta,  there 
was  a  confused  swarm  of  people  of  all  races,  Americans, 
English,  Chinese,  Dutch,  merchants  ready  to  sell  everything 
and  to  buy  everything,  in  the  midst  of  whom  the  French- 
man found  himself  as  strange  as  if  he  had  been  cast  Into  the 
Hottentot  country. 


262      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

Passepartout  had,  it  is  true,  one  resource ;  it  was  to  make 
himself  known  at  the  French  or  English  Consular  Agent's 
established  at  Yokohama;  but  he  hated  to  tell  his  story,  so 
intimately  connected  with  that  of  his  master,  and  before 
coming  to  that,  he  wished  to  exhaust  all  other  chances. 

Then,  having  gone  through  the  European  quarter  of  the 
city,  without  chance  having  served  him  in  anything,  he  en- 
tered the  Japanese  quarter,  decided,  if  it  was  necessary,  to 
push  on  to  Yeddo. 

This  native  portion  of  Yokohama  is  called  Benten,  from 
the  name  of  a  goddess  of  the  sea,  worshiped  in  the  neigh- 
boring islands.  There  were  to  be  seen  splendid  avenues  of 
firs  and  cedars;  the  sacred  gates  of  a  strange  architecture; 
bridges  half  hid  in  the  midst  of  bamboos  and  reeds;  temples 
sheltered  under  the  immense  and  melancholy  shade  of  aged 
cedars,  retreats  in  the  depths  of  which  vegetated  the  priests 
of  Buddhism  and  the  sectaries  of  the  religion  of  Confucius; 
interminable  streets  in  which  could  have  been  gathered  a 
whole  crop  of  children,  rose-tinted  and  red-cheeked,  good 
little  people  who  might  have  been  cut  out  of  some  native 
screen,  and  who  were  playing  in  the  midst  of  short-legged 
poodles,  and  yellowish,  tailless  cats,  very  indolent,  and  very 
affectionate. 

In  the  streets  there  was  a  constant  swarm,  going  and  com- 
ing incessantly;  priests  passing  in  procession,  beating  their 
monotonous  tambourines ;  patrolmen,  custom  house  or  police 
officers,  with  pointed  hats  incrusted  with  lace,  and  carrying 
two  sabers  in  their  belts;  soldiers  dressed  in  blue  cotton, 
with  white  stripes,  and  armed  with  percussion  muskets; 
guards  of  the  Mikado,  enveloped  in  their  silken  doublets, 
with  hauberk  and  coat  of  mail,  and  a  number  of  other  mil- 
itary men  of  all  ranks — for  in  Japan  the  profession  of  a 
soldier  is  as  much  esteemed  as  it  is  despised  in  China.  Then, 
mendicant  friars,  pilgrims  in  long  robes,  simple  civilians, 
with  their  glossy  and  jet-black  hair,  large  heads,  long  bust, 
slender  legs,  short  stature,  and  complexions  from  the  dark 
shades  of  copper  to  dead  white,  but  never  yellow  like  that 
of  the  Chinese,  from  whom  the  Japanese  differ  essentially. 
Finally,  between  the  carriages,  the  palanquins,  the  horses, 
the  porters,  the  curtained  wheelbarrows,  and  bamboo  litters, 
were  seen  moving  some  homely  women,  with  tightly-drawn 
eyes,  sunken  chests,  and  teeth  blackened  according  to  the 


IT  IS  PRUDENT  TO  HAVE  MONEY        263 

fashion  of  the  time,  taking  short  steps  with  their  Httle  feet, 
upon  which  were  canvas  shoes,  straw  sandals,  or  clogs  of 
worked  wood.  They  also  wore  with  elegance  the  national 
garment,  the  "  kiri  mon,"  a  sort  of  dressing-gown,  crossed 
with  a  silk  scarf,  whose  broad  girdle  expanded  behind  into 
an  extravagant  knot,  which  the  modern  Parisian  ladies 
seem  to  have  borrowed  from  the  Japanese. 

Then  Passepartout  found  himself  in  the  fields,  in  the 
midst  of  immense  rice  fields.  There  were  expanding,  with 
flowers  which  threw  out  their  last  perfumes,  dazzling  ca- 
melias,  not  borne  upon  shrubs,  but  upon  trees;  and  in  the 
bamboo  enclosures,  cherr}'-,  plum,  and  apple  trees,  which 
the  natives  cultivate  rather  for  their  blossoms  than  for  their 
fruit,  and  which  grinning  scarecrows  protect  from  the 
beaks  of  the  sparrows,  the  pigeons,  the  crows,  and  other 
voracious  birds.  There  was  not  a  majestic  cedar  which 
did  not  shelter  some  large  eagle;  not  a  weeping  willow 
which  did  not  cover  with  its  foliage  some  heron,  sadly- 
perched  on  one  foot;  while,  finally,  in  all  directions  there 
were  rooks,  ducks,  hawks,  wild  geese,  and  a  large  number 
of  those  cranes  which  the  Japanese  treat  as  "  lords,"  and 
which  symbolize  for  them  long  life  and  good  fortune. 

Wandering  thus.  Passepartout  saw  some  violets  among 
the  grass,  and  said:  "  Good!  there  is  my  supper." 

But  having  smelt  them,  he  found  no  odor  in  them. 

"  No  chance  there !  "  he  thought. 

The  good  fellow  had  certainly  had  the  foresight  to  break- 
fast as  heartily  as  possible  before  he  left  the  Carnatic;  but 
after  walking  around  for  a  day  he  felt  that  his  stomach  was 
very  empty.  He  had  noticed  that  sheep,  goats,  or  pigs  were 
entirely  wanting  at  the  stalls  of  the  native  butchers;  and  as 
he  knew  that  it  is  a  sacrilege  to  kill  beeves,  kept  only  for  the 
needs  of  agriculture,  he  concluded  that  meat  was  scarce  in 
Japan.  He  was  not  mistaken;  but  in  default  of  butcher's 
meat,  his  stomach  would  have  accommodated  itself  very 
well  to  quarters  of  deer  or  wild  boar,  some  partridges  or 
quails,  some  poultry  or  fish,  with  which  the  Japanese  feed 
themselves  almost  exclusively,  with  the  product  of  the  rice 
fields.  But  he  had  to  put  a  brave  heart  against  ill  luck,  and 
postponed  to  the  next  day  the  care  of  providing  for  his 
nourishment. 

Night  came  on.       Passepartout  returned  to  the  native 


264     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

quarter,  and  wandered  in  the  streets  in  the  midst  of  the 
many-colored  lanterns,  looking  at  the  groups  of  dancers, 
executing  their  f€ats  of  agility,  and  the  astrologers  in  the 
open  air  gathering  the  crowd  around  their  telescopes.  Then 
he  saw  again  the  harbor,  relieved  by  the  fires  of  many 
fishermen  who  were  catching  fish  by  the  light  of  their 
torches. 

Finally,  the  streets  became  empty.  To  the  crowd  suc- 
ceeded the  rounds  of  the  patrolmen.  These  officers,  in 
their  magnificent  costumes  and  in  the  midst  of  their  suite, 
resembled  ambassadors,  and  Passepartout  repeated  pleas- 
antly, each  time  that  he  met  some  dazzling  patrol,  "  Good, 
good !    Another  Japanese  embassy  starting  for  Europe !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

IN    WHICH    passepartout's    NOSE    IS    LENGTHENED    ENOR- 
MOUSLY 

The  next  day  Passepartout,  tired  out  and  hungry,  said 
to  himself  that  he  must  eat  at  any  cost,  and  the  sooner  the 
better.  He  had  this  resource,  to  sell  his  watch,  but  he 
would  rather  die  of  hunger.  Now  was  the  time,  or  never, 
for  this  good  fellow  to  utilize  the  strong,  if  not  melodious, 
voice  with  which  nature  had  favored  him. 

He  knew  a  few  French  and  English  airs,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  try  them.  The  Japanese  ought  certainly  to  be 
lovers  of  music,  since  everything  with  them  was  done  to 
the  sound  of  the  cymbals,  the  tam-tams,  and  drums,  and 
they  could  not  but  appreciate  the  talents  of  a  European 
amateur. 

But,  perhaps,  he  was  a  little  early  to  organize  a  concert, 
and  the  dilettanti,  unexpectedly  wakened,  would,  perhaps, 
not  have  paid  the  singer  in  money  with  the  Mikado's  like- 
ness. 

Passepartout  decided,  then,  to  wait  a  few  hours;  but  in 
sauntering  along  the  thought  came  to  him  that  he  would 
look  too  well  dressed  for  a  wandering  artist,  and  the  idea 
struck  him  to  exchange  his  clothing  for  a  suit  more  in 
harmony  with  his  position.  This  exchange  would  besides 
produce  a  sum  which  he  could  immediately  apply  to  satis- 
fying his  appetite. 


PASSEPARTOUT'S  NOSE  IS  LENGTHENED  265 

This  resolution  taken,  it  only  remained  to  execute  it.  It 
was  only  after  a  long  search  that  Passepartout  found  a 
native  clothes  dealer,  to  whom  he  told  his  want.  The  Eu- 
ropean garments  pleased  the  man,  and  soon  Passepartout 
came  out  wrapped  in  an  old  Japanese  robe,  and  on  his  head 
a  sort  of  one-sided  turban,  discolored  by  the  action  of  the 
weather.  But  in  return,  a  few  small  pieces  of  money  jin- 
gled in  his  pocket. 

"  Good ! "  he  thought,  "  I  will  fancy  that  we  are  in  the 
carnival ! " 

Passepartout's  first  care,  thus  "  Japanesed,"  was  to  enter 
a  tea  house  of  modest  appearance,  and  there,  with  some  re- 
m.ains  of  poultry  and  a  few  handfuls  of  rice,  he  breakfasted 
like  a  man  for  whom  dinner  would  be  still  a  problem  to  be 
solved. 

"  Now,"  he  said  to  himself,  when  he  had  taken  hearty 
refreshment,  "  the  question  is  not  to  lose  my  head.  I  have 
no  longer  the  resource  of  selling  this  garment  for  another 
still  more  Japanese.  I  must  then  consider  the  means  of 
getting  away  as  promptly  as  possible  from  this  country  of 
the  sun,  of  which  I  shall  preserve  but  a  sorry  recollection." 

Passepartout  then  thought  of  visiting  the  steamers  about 
to  set  sail  for  America.  He  counted  on  offering  himself 
in  the  capacity  of  cook  or  servant,  asking  only  his  passage 
and  his  meals  as  his  entire  compensation.  Once  at  San 
Francisco,  he  would  see  how  he  would  get  out  of  his  scrape. 
The  important  thing  was  to  traverse  these  four  thousand, 
seven  hundred  miles  of  the  Pacific  stretching  between  Japan 
and  the  new  world. 

Passepartout,  not  being  a  man  to  let  an  idea  languish, 
turned  towards  the  port  of  Yokohama.  But  as  he  ap- 
proached the  docks,  his  plans,  which  had  appeared  so  simple 
to  him  at  the  moment  when  he  had  the  idea,  seemed  more 
and  more  difficult  of  execution.  Why  should  they  need  a 
cook  or  servant  aboard  an  American  steamer,  and  what  con- 
fidence would  he  inspire,  muffled  up  in  this  manner?  What 
recommendations  would  be  of  any  service?  What  refer- 
ences could  he  give? 

As  he  was  thus  reflecting,  his  eyes  fell  upon  an  immense 
placard  which  a  sort  of  clown  was  carrying  through  the 
streets  of  Yokohama.  This  programme  was  thus  worded  in 
English : 


266      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Acrobatic  Japanese  Troupe  of  the 
Honorable  William  Batulcar. 

Last  Representations,  Before  Departure  for  the 
United  States  of  America 
Long  Noses!     Long  Noses! 

Under  the  Direct  Protection  of  the  God  Tingou! 

Great  Attraction  ! 

"  The  United  States  of  America,"  cried  Passepartout, 
"  that's  just  what  I  want !  " 

He  followed  the  man  with  his  placard,  and  thus  soon  re- 
entered the  Japanese  quarter,  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later, 
he  stopped  before  a  large  house  surrounded  by  clusters  of 
streamers,  and  whose  exterior  walls  represented,  without 
perspective,  but  in  violent  colors,  a  whole  company  of  jug- 
glers. 

It  was  the  Honorable  Batulcar's  establishment,  who  was 
a  sort  of  American  Barnum,  director  of  a  troupe  of  mounte- 
banks, jugglers,  clowns,  acrobats,  equilibrists,  gymnasts, 
which,  according  to  the  placard,  was  giving  its  last  per- 
formance before  leaving  the  Empire  of  the  Sun  for  the 
States  of  the  Union. 

Passepartout  entered  under  the  porch  in  front  of  the 
house,  and  asked  for  Honorable  Mr.  Batulcar.  He  ap- 
peared in  person. 

"What  do  you  wish?"  he  said  to  Passepartout,  taking 
him  at  first  for  a  native. 

"Do  you  need  a  servant?"  asked  Passepartout. 

"  A  servant,"  cried  the  Barnum,  stroking  his  thick  gray 
beard  hanging  heavily  under  his  chin.  "  I  have  two,  obedi- 
ent and  faithful,  who  have  never  left  me,  and  who  serve 
me  for  nothing,  on  condition  that  I  feed  them.  And  here 
they  are,"  he  added,  showing  his  two  robust  arms,  furrowed 
with  veins  as  large  as  the  strings  of  a  bass  viol. 

"  So  I  can  be  of  no  good  to  you?  " 

"  None." 

"  The  devil !  It  would  have  suited  me  so  well  to  leave 
with  you." 

"  Ah,  I  see !  "  said  the  Honorable  Batulcar.  "  You  are 
as  much  a  Japanese  as  I  am  a  monkey!  Why  are  you 
dressed  in  this  way?" 

"  One  dresses  as  one  can." 

"Very  true.     You  are  a  Frenchman.'*" 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    NOSE   IS    LENGTHENED  267 

"  Yes,  a  Parisian  from  Paris." 

"  Then  you  ought  to  know  how  to  make  grimaces  ?  " 

"  Indeed,"  replied  Passepartout,  vexed  at  seeing  his  na- 
tionahty  call  forth  this  question,  "  we  Frenchmen  know 
how  to  make  grimaces,  it  is  true,  but  not  better  than  the 
Americans." 

"  Just  so.  Well,  if  I  do  not  take  you  as  a  servant  I  can 
take  you  as  a  clown.  You  understand,  my  good  fellow? 
In  France,  they  exhibit  foreign  clowns,  and  abroad,  French 
clowns." 

"Ah!" 

"  You  are  strong,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"  Particularly  when  I  have  been  at  the  table." 

"And  you  know  how  to  sing?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Passepartout,  who  had  formerly  taken 
part  in  street  concerts. 

"  But  do  you  know  how  to  sing  on  your  head,  with  a 
top  spinning  on  the  sole  of  your  left  foot,  and  a  saber  bal- 
anced on  the  sole  of  your  right?" 

"  Parbleu !  "  replied  Passepartout,  who  recalled  the  first 
exercises  of  his  youth. 

"  Then,  you  see,  all  is  right ! "  replied  the  Honorable 
Batulcar. 

The  engagement  was  concluded  there  and  then. 

At  last  Passepartout  had  found  a  position.  He  was  en- 
gaged to  do  everything  in  the  celebrated  Japanese  troupe. 
It  was  not  very  flattering,  but  within  a  week  he  would  be 
on  his  way  to  San  Francisco. 

The  performance,  so  noisily  announced  by  the  Honorable 
Batulcar,  was  to  commence  at  three  o'clock,  and  soon  the 
formidable  instruments  of  a  Japanese  orchestra,  drums  and 
tam-tams,  sounded  at  the  door.  We  understand  very  well 
that  Passepartout  could  not  have  studied  a  part,  but  he  was 
to  give  the  support  of  his  solid  shoulders  in  the  grand  feat 
of  the  "  human  pyramid,"  executed  by  the  Long  Noses  of 
the  god  Tingou.  This  great  attraction  of  the  performance 
was  to  close  the  series. 

Before  three  o'clock,  the  spectators  had  crowded  the 
large  building.  Europeans  and  natives,  Chinese  and  Japan- 
ese, men,  women,  and  children,  rushed  upon  the  narrow 
benches,  and  into  the  boxes  opposite  the  stage.  The  mu- 
sicians had  entered,  and  the  full  orchestra,  with  gongs,  tarn- 


268      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

tams,  bones,  flutes,  tambourines,  and  large  drums  went  to 
work  furiously. 

The  performance  was  what  all  these  acrobatic  exhibitions 
are.  But  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  Japanese  are  the 
best  equilibrists  in  the  world.  One,  with  his  fan  and  small 
bits  of  paper,  executed  the  graceful  trick  of  the  butterflies 
and  flowers.  Another,  with  the  odorous  smoke  of  his  pipe, 
traced  rapidly  in  the  air  a  series  of  bluish  words,  which 
formed  a  compliment  addressed  to  the  audience.  The  latter 
juggled  with  lit  candles,  which  he  blew  out  in  succession 
as  they  passed  before  his  lips,  and  which  he  lit  again,  one 
after  the  other,  without  interrupting,  for  a  single  moment, 
his  wonderful  jugglery.  The  former  produced,  by  means 
of  spinning  tops,  the  most  improbable  combinations.  Under 
his  hand  these  humming  machines  seemed  to  be  gifted  with 
a  life  of  their  own  in  their  interminable  whirling;  they  ran 
over  pipe  stems,  over  the  edges  of  sabers,  over  wires  as 
thin  as  hair,  stretched  from  one  side  of  the  stage  to  the 
other;  they  went  round  large  glass  vases,  they  went  up 
and  down  bamboo  ladders,  and  scattered  into  all  the  cor- 
ners, and  produced  harmonic  effects  of  a  strange  character 
by  combining  their  various  tones.  The  jugglers  tossed 
them  up,  and  they  turned  in  the  air;  they  threw  them  like 
shuttle-cocks  with  wooden  battledores,  and  they  kept  on 
turning;  they  thrust  them  into  their  pockets,  and  when  they 
borught  them  out  they  were  still  spinning — until  the  mo- 
ment when  a  relaxed  spring  made  them  bud  out  into  a 
Chinese  tree! 

It  is  useless  to  describe  here  the  wonderful  feats  of  the 
acrobats  and  gymnasts  of  the  troupe.  The  turning  on  lad- 
ders, poles,  balls,  barrels,  etc.,  was  executed  with  remarkable 
precision.  But  the  principal  attraction  of  the  performance 
was  the  exhibition  of  the  Long  Noses,  astonishing  equilib- 
rists, with  whom  Europe  is  not  yet  acquainted. 

These  Long  Noses  form  a  special  company  placed  under 
the  direct  patronage  of  the  god  Tingou.  Dressed  like 
heroes  of  the  middle  ages,  they  bore  a  splendid  pair  of 
wings  on  their  shoulders.  But  what  distinguished  them 
more  particularly  was  the  long  nose  with  which  their  faces 
were  ornamented,  and,  above  all,  the  use  they  made  of 
them.  These  noses  were  nothing  less  than  bamboos,  five, 
six,  ten  feet  long;  some  straight,  others  curved;  the  latter 


PASSEPARTOUT'S   NOSE   IS   LENGTHENED  269 

smooth,  the  former  with  warts  on  them.  It  was  on  these 
appendages,  fastened  Jfirmly,  that  all  their  balancing  feats 
were  performed.  A  dozen  of  these  sectaries  of  the  god 
Tingou  lay  upon  their  backs,  and  their  comrades  came, 
dressed  like  lightning  rods,  to  make  sport  on  their  noses, 
jumping,  leaping  from  one  to  the  other,  executing  the  most 
incredible  somersaults. 

To  close,  they  had  specially  announced  to  the  public  the 
*'  human  pyramid,"  in  which  fifty  Long  Noses  were  to  rep- 
resent the  car  of  Juggernaut.  But  instead  of  forming  this 
pyramid  by  taking  their  shoulders  for  a  point  of  support, 
the  artists  of  the  Honorable  Batulcar  made  it  with  their 
noses.  Now,  the  one  of  them  who  usually  formed  the  base 
of  the  car  had  left  the  troupe,  and  as  all  that  was  necessary 
was  to  be  strong  and  agile,  Passepartout  was  chosen  to  take 
his  place. 

The  good  fellow  felt  quite  melancholy,  when — sad  recol- 
lection of  his  youth — he  had  put  on  this  costume  of  the 
middle  ages,  adorned  with  parti-colored  wings,  and  when 
a  nose  six  feet  long  had  been  put  on  his  face.  But  this 
nose  was  to  earn  his  bread  for  him,  and  he  took  his  part. 

Passepartout  went  upon  the  stage  and  took  his  place  with 
those  of  his  colleagues  who  were  to  form  the  base  of  the 
Car  of  Juggernaut.  All  stretched  themselves  on  the  floor, 
their  noses  turned  towards  the  ceiling.  A  second  section 
of  equilibrists  placed  themselves  upon  these  long  appen- 
dages, a  third  formed  a  story  above,  then  a  fourth,  and  on 
these  noses  which  only  touched  at  the  point,  a  human  monu- 
ment soon  rose  to  the  height  of  the  cornices  of  the  theater. 

Now,  the  applause  was  redoubled,  and  the  instruments 
in  the  orchestra  crashed  like  so  much  thunder,  when  the 
pyramid  shook,  the  equilibrium  was  broken,  one  of  the 
noses  of  the  base  was  missing,  and  the  monument  fell  like 
a  house  of  cards. 

It  was  Passepartout's  fault,  who,  leaving  his  post,  clearing 
the  footlights  without  the  aid  of  his  wings,  and  climbing  up 
to  the  right-hand  gallery,  fell  at  the  feet  of  a  spectator, 
crying :  "  Ah !  my  master !  my  master !  " 

"You  here?" 

"Myself!" 

"  Well  then,  in  that  case,  to  the  steamer,  young  man ! " 

Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  who  accompanied  him,  and  Passepar- 


270      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

tout  rushed  through  the  lobbies  to  the  outside  of  the  build- 
ing. There  they  found  the  Honorable  Batulcar,  furious, 
claiming  damages  for  the  "  breakage."  Phileas  Fogg  ap- 
peased his  anger  by  throwing  him  a  handful  of  bank  notes. 
Mr.  Fogg  and  Aouda  set  foot  on  the  American  steamer, 
followed  by  Passepartout,  with  his  wings  on  his  back,  and 
on  his  face  the  nose  six  feet  long  which  he  had  not  yet  been 
able  to  tear  off ! 

CHAPTER    XXIV 

DURING  WHICH  IS  ACCOMPLISHED  THE  VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE 

PACIFIC  OCEAN 

What  had  happened  in  sight  of  Shanghai  is  understood. 
The  signals  made  by  the  Tankadere  had  been  observed  by 
the  Yokohama  steamer.  The  captain,  seeing  a  flag  at  half- 
mast,  had  turned  his  vessel  towards  the  little  schooner.  A 
few  minutes  after,  Phileas  Fogg,  paying  for  his  passage  at 
the  price  agreed  upon,  put  in  the  pocket  of  John  Bunsby, 
master,  five  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Then  the  honorable 
gentleman,  Aouda,  and  Fix  ascended  to  the  deck  of 
the  steamer,  which  immediately  took  its  course  for  Nagasaki 
and  Yokohama. 

Having  arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  November, 
on  time,  Phileas  Fogg,  letting  Fix  go  about  his  business,  had 
gone  aboard  the  Carnatic,  and  there  he  learned,  to  the  great 
joy  of  Aouda — and  perhaps  to  his  own,  but  he  did  not  let 
it  appear — that  the  Frenchman,  Passepartout,  had  really 
arrived  the  day  before  at  Yokohama. 

Phileas  Fogg,  who  was  to  start  again  the  same  evening 
for  San  Francisco,  sent  immediately  in  search  of  his  servant. 
He  inquired  in  vain  of  the  French  and  English  consular 
agents,  and  after  uselessly  running  through  the  streets  of 
Yokohama,  he  despaired  of  finding  Passepartout  again, 
when  chance,  or  perhaps  a  sort  of  presentiment,  made  him 
enter  the  theater  of  the  Honorable  Batulcar.  He  would 
certainly  not  have  recognized  his  servant  under  this  ec- 
centric mountebank  dress ;  but  the  latter,  lying  on  his  back, 
saw  his  master  in  the  gallery.  He  could  not  restrain  a 
movement  of  his  nose.  Thence  a  breaking  of  the  equilib- 
rium and  what  followed. 

This  is  what  Passepartout  learned  from  Aouda's  mouth, 


THE   VOYAGE   ACROSS   THE   PACIFIC      271 

who  told  him  then  how  the  voyage  had  been  made  from 
Hong  Kong  to  Yokohama,  in  company  of  a  Mr.  Fix,  on  the 
schooner  Tankadere. 

At  the  name  of  Fix,  Passepartout  did  not  change  counte- 
nance. He  thought  that  the  time  had  not  come  to  tell  his 
master  what  had  passed  between  the  detective  and  himself. 
Thus,  in  the  story  which  Passepartout  told  of  his  adven- 
tures, he  only  accused  and  excused  himself  of  having  been 
overcome  by'the  intoxication  of  opium  in  a  smoking  house 
in  Hong  Kong. 

Mr.  Fogg  listened  coldly  to  this  narrative,  without  re- 
plying; then  he  opened  for  his  servant  a  credit  sufficient  for 
him  to  procure  on  board  more  suitable  garments.  And, 
indeed,  an  hour  had  not  passed,  when  the  good  fellow,  hav- 
ing cut  off  his  nose  and  shed  his  wings,  had  nothing  more 
about  him  which  recalled  the  sectary  of  the  god  Tingou. 

The  steamer  making  the  voyage  from  Yokohama  to  San 
Francisco  belonged  to  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company, 
and  was  named  the  General  Grant.  She  was  a  large  side- 
wheel  steamer  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  tons,  well 
equipped  and  of  great  speed.  The  General  Grant  was 
rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner,  and  she  had  a  large 
surface  of  sails,  which  aided  her  steam  power  materially. 
By  making  twelve  miles  an  hour  the  steamer  would  only 
need  twenty  days  to  cross  the  Pacific.  Phileas  Fogg  then 
had  good  reasons  for  believing  that,  landed  at  San  Francisco 
on  the  3d  of  December,  he  would  be  in  New  York  on  the 
nth,  and  in  London  on  the  20th,  thus  gaining  some  hours 
on  the  fatal  date  of  the  21st  of  December. 

The  passengers  aboard  the  steamer  were  quite  numerous 
— some  Englishmen,  many  Americans,  a  genuine  emigra- 
tion of  coolies  to  America,  and  a  certain  number  of  officers 
of  the  Indian  army,  who  made  use  of  their  leave  of  absence 
by  making  the  tour  of  the  world. 

During  this  voyage  there  was  no  nautical  incident.  The 
steamer,  borne  up  on  its  large  wheels,  supported  by  its  large 
amount  of  canvas,  rolled  but  little.  The  Pacific  Ocean  jus- 
tified its  name  sufficiently.  Mr.  Fogg  was  as  calm  and  non- 
communicative  as  usual.  His  young  companion  felt  herself 
more  and  more  attached  to  this  man  by  other  ties  than  those 
of  gratitude.  This  silent  nature,  so  generous  in  short,  made 
a  greater  impression  upon  her  than  she  thought,  and  almost 


2^2      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

unknown  to  herself  she  allowed  herself  to  have  feelings 
which  did  not  seem  to  affect  in  any  way  the  enigmatic  Fogg. 

Besides,  Aouda  was  very  much  interested  in  the  gentle- 
man's plans.  She  was  uneasy  at  the  retarding  circum- 
stances which  might  prevent  the  success  of  the  tour.  She 
frequently  talked  with  Passepartout,  v^-ho  readily  detected 
the  feelings  of  Aouda's  heart.  This  good  fellow  had  the 
most  implicit  faith  with  regard  to  his  master;  he  did  not 
exhaust  his  praises  of  the  honesty,  the  generosity,  the  devo- 
tion of  Phileas  Fogg;  then  he  reassured  Aouda  as  to 
the  issue  of  the  voyage,  repeating  that  the  most  difficult 
part  was  done,  that  they  had  left  the  fantastic  countries  of 
China  and  Japan,  that  they  were  returning  to  civilized  coun- 
tries, and  finally,  that  a  train  from  San  Francisco  to  New 
York,  and  a  transatlantic  steamer  from  New  York  to  Liver- 
pool, would  be  sufficient,  doubtless,  to  finish  this  impossible 
tour  of  the  world  in  the  time  agreed  upon. 

Nine  days  after  leaving  Yokohama,  Phileas  Fogg  had 
traversed  exactly  the  half  of  the  terrestrial  globe. 

In  fact,  the  General  Grant,  on  the  23d  of  November, 
passed  the  one  hundred  and  eightieth  meridian,  upon  which 
in  the  southern  hemisphere  are  to  be  found  the  antipodes 
of  London.  It  is  true  that  of  the  eig'hty  days  at  his  disposal 
he  had  used  fifty-two,  and  there  only  remained  to  him  twen- 
ty-eight to  be  consumed.  But  we  must  notice  that  if  the 
gentleman  only  found  himself  half  way  round  by  the  dif- 
ference of  meridians,  he  had  really  accomplished  more  than 
two-thirds  of  its  entire  course.  Indeed,  what  forced  de- 
tours from  London  to  Aden,  from  Aden  to  Bombay,  from 
Calcutta  to  Singapore,  from  Singapore  to  Yokohama!  By 
following  around  the  fiftieth  parallel,  which  is  that  of  Lon- 
don, the  distance  would  have  been  but  about  twelve  thousand 
miles,  whilst  Phileas  Fogg  was  compelled,  by  the  caprices 
of  the  means  of  locomotion,  to  travel  over  twenty-six  thou- 
sand, of  which  he  had  already  made  about  seventeen  thou- 
sand five  hundred,  at  this  date,  the  23d  of  November.  But 
now  the  route  was  a  straight  one,  and  Fix  was  no  longer 
there  to  accumulate  obstacles. 

It  happened  also  that  on  this  23d  of  November,  Passepar- 
tout made  quite  a  joyful  discovery.  It  will  be  recollected 
that  the  obstinate  fellow  had  insisted  on  keeping  London 
time  with  his  famous  family  watch,  deeming  incorrect  the 

V.  VU  Verne 


THE   VOYAGE   ACROSS    THE    PACIFIC      273 

time  of  the  various  countries  that  he  traversed.  Now  this 
day,  although  he  had  neither  put  his  watch  forward  or  back, 
it  agreed  with  the  ship's  chronometers. 

The  triumph  of  Passepartout  may  be  comprehended.  He 
would  have  liked  to  know  what  Fix  would  have  said  if  he 
had  been  present. 

"  The  rogue  who  told  me  a  heap  of  stories  about  the  merid- 
ians, the  sun  and  the  moon !  "  said  Passepartout.  "  Pshaw! 
if  one  listened  to  that  sort  of  people,  we  would  have  a  nice 
sort  of  clocks  and  watches !  I  was  very  sure  that  one  day 
or  another,  the  sun  would  decide  to  regulate  itself  by  my 
watch ! " 

Passepartout  was  ignorant  of  this:  that  if  the  face  of  his 
watch  had  been  divided  into  twenty- four  hours  like  the  Ital- 
ian clocks,  he  would  have  had  no  reason  for  triumph,  for 
the  hands  of  his  watch,  when  it  was  9  o'clock  in  the  morning 
on  the  vessel,  would  have  indicated  9  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
that  is,  the  twenty-first  hour  after  midnight — a  difference 
precisely  equal  to  that  which  exists  between  London  and  the 
one  hundred  and  eightieth  meridian. 

But  if  Fix  had  been  capable  of  explaining  this  purely 
physical  effect,  Passepartout,  doubtless,  would  have  been 
incapable,  if  not  of  understanding  it,  at  least  of  admitting 
it.  And  in  any  event,  if  the  impossible  thing  should  occur 
that  the  detective  would  unexpectedly  show  himself  aboard' 
at  this  moment,  it  is  probable  that  Passepartout  would  have 
spitefully  talked  with  him  on  quite  a  different  subject,  and 
in  quite  a  different  manner. 

Now,  where  was  Fix  at  this  moment? 

He  was  actually  on  board  the  General  Grant.  In  fact,  on 
arriving  at  Yokohama  the  detective,  leaving  Mr.  Fogg, 
whom  he  thought  he  would  see  again  during  the  day,  had 
immediately  gone  to  the  English  Consul's.  There  he  finally 
found  the  warrant  of  arrest,  which,  running  after  him  from 
Bombay,  was  already  forty  days  old,  which  had  been  sent 
to  him  from  Hong  Kong  on  the  very  Carnatic  on  board  of 
which  he  was  supposed  to  be.  The  detective's  disappoint- 
ment may  be  imagined!  The  warrant  was  useless!  Mr, 
Fogg  had  left  the  English  possessions!  An  order  of  ex- 
tradition was  now  necessary  to  arrest  him ! 

"  Let  it  be  so!  "  said  Fix  to  himself,  after  the  first  mo- 
ment of  anger.     "  My  warrant  is  no  longer  good  here ;  it 


274      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

will  be  in  England.  This  rogue  has  the  appearance  of  re- 
turning to  his  native  country  believing  that  he  has  thrown 
the  police  off  their  guard.  Well,  I  will  follow  him  there. 
As  for  the  money,  heaven  grant  there  may  be  some  left! 
But  what  with  traveling,  rewards,  trials,  fines,  elephants, 
expenses  of  every  kind,  my  man  has  already  left  more  than 
five  thousand  pounds  on  his  route.  After  all,  the  Bank  is 
rich  1 " 

His  decision  taken,  he  immediately  went  on  board  the 
General  Grant,  and  was  there  when  Mr.  Fogg  and  Aouda 
arrived.  To  his  extreme  surprise,  he  recognized  Passepar- 
tout under  his  fantastic  costume.  He  concealed  himself 
immediately  in  his  cabin,  to  avoid  an  explanation  which 
might  damage  everything — and,  thanks  to  the  number  of 
the  passengers,  he  counted  on  not  being  seen  by  his  enemy, 
when  this  very  day  he  found  himself  face  to  face  with  him 
on  the  forward  part  of  the  ship. 

Passepartout  jumped  at  Fix's  throat,  without  any  other 
explanation,  and  to  the  great  delight  of  certain  Americans, 
who  immediately  bet  for  him,  he  gave  the  unfortunate  de- 
tective a  superb  volley  of  blows,  showing  the  great  superior- 
ity of  French  over  English  boxing. 

When  Passepartout  had  finished  he  found  himself  calmer 
and  comforted.  Fix  rose  in  pretty  bad  condition,  and, 
looking  at  his  adversary,  he  said  to  him  coldly,  "  Is  it 
finished.?" 

"  Yes,  for  the  moment." 

"  Then  I  want  a  word  with  you." 

"  But  I " 

"  In  your  master's  interest." 

Passepartout,  as  if  conquered  by  this  coolness,  followed 
the  detective,  and  they  both  sat  down  in  the  forward  part  of 
the  steamer.  "  You  have  thrashed  me,"  said  Fix.  "  Good ; 
I  expected  it.  Now,  listen  to  me.  Until  the  present  I 
have  been  Mr.  Fogg's  adversary,  but  now  I  am  with  him." 

"  At  last ! "  cried  Passepartout,  "  you  believe  him  to  be 
an  honest  man  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Fix  coldly.  "  I  believe  him  to  be  a  rogue. 
Sh!  Don't  stir,  and  let  me  talk.  As  long  as  Mr.  Fogg 
was  in  the  English  possessions,  I  had  an  interest  in  retaining 
him  whilst  waiting  for  a  warrant  of  arrest.  I  did  every- 
thing I  could  for  that.     I  sent  against  him  the  priests  of 


THE   VOYAGE   ACROSS    THE    PACIFIC       275 

Bombay,  I  made  you  drunk  at  Hong  Kong,  I  separated  you 
from  your  master,  I  made  him  miss  the  Yokohama 
steamer." 

Passepartout  listened  with  clenched  fists. 

"  Now,"  continued  Fix,  "  Mr.  Fogg  seems  to  be  return- 
ing to  England?  Well,  I  will  follow  him  there.  But 
henceforth  it  shall  be  my  aim  to  clear  the  obstacles  from  his 
path  as  zealously  and  carefully  as  before  I  took  pains  to  ac- 
cumulate them.  You  see,  my  game  is  changed,  and  it  is 
changed  because  my  interest  desires  it.  I  add,  that  your 
interest  is  similar  to  mine,  for  you  will  only  know  in  Eng- 
land whether  you  are  in  the  service  of  a  criminal  or  an  hon- 
est man !  " 

Passepartout  listened  to  Fix  very  attentively  and  he  was 
convinced  that  the  latter  spoke  with  entire  good  faith. 

"  Are  we  friends?  "  asked  Fix. 

"Friends,  no,"  replied  Passepartout;  "allies,  yes;  and 
under  this  condition  that,  at  the  least  appearance  of  treason, 
I  will  twist  your  neck." 

"  Agreed,"  said  the  detective,  quietly. 

Eleven  days  after,  on  the  3d  of  December,  the  General 
Grant  entered  the  bay  of  the  Golden  Gate,  and  arrived  at 
San  Francisco.  Mr.  Fogg  had  neither  gained  nor  lost  a 
single  day. 

CHAPTER    XXV 

IN  WHICH  A  SLIGHT  GLIMPSE  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  IS  HAD — 

A  POLITICAL  MEETING 

It  was  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  Phileas  Fogg, 
Aouda  and  Passepartout  set  foot  on  the  American  continent, 
if  this  name  can  be  given  to  the  floating  wharf  on  which 
they  landed.  These  wharves,  rising  and  falling  with  the 
tide,  facilitate  the  loading  and  unloading  of  vessels.  Clip- 
pers of  all  sizes  were  moored  there,  steamers  of  all  nation- 
alities, and  those  steamboats  with  several  decks,  which  ply 
on  the  Sacramento  and  its  tributaries.  There  were  accu- 
mulated also  the  products  of  a  commerce  which  extends  to 
Mexico,  Peru,  Chili,  Brazil,  Europe,  Asia  and  all  the  islands 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Passepartout,  in  his  joy  at  finally  touching  American  soil, 
thought  in  landing  he  would  execute  a  perilous  leap  in  his 


276      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

finest  style.  But  when  he  fell  upon  the  wharf,  the  planks  of 
which  were  worm-eaten,  he  almost  fell  through.  Quite  put 
out  by  the  manner  in  which  he  had  **  set  foot "  on  the  new 
continent,  the  good  fellow  uttered  a  terrible  cry,  which  sent 
flying  an  innumerable  flock  of  cormorants  and  pelicans, 
the  customary  inhabitants  of  the  movable  wharves. 

Mr.  Fogg,  as  soon  as  he  landed,  ascertained  the  hour  at 
which  the  first  train  left  for  New  York.  It  was  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  He  had,  then,  an  entire  day  to 
spend  in  the  California  capital.  He  ordered  a  carriage  for 
Aouda  and  himself.  Passepartout  mounted  the  box,  and 
the  vehicle,  at  three  dollars  for  the  trip,  turned  towards  the 
International  Hotel. 

From  the  elevated  position  that  he  occupied.  Passepar- 
tout observed  with  curiosity  the  great  American  city,  the 
broad  streets,  low,  evenly-ranged  houses,  the  Anglo-Saxon 
Gothic  churches  and  temples,  the  immense  docks,  the 
palatial  warehouses,  some  of  wood  and  some  of  brick;  the 
numerous  vehicles  in  the  streets,  omnibuses  and  horse-cars, 
and  on  the  crowded  sidewalks  not  only  American  and 
Europeans,  but  also  Chinese  and  Indians — the  component 
parts  of  a  population  of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants. 

Passepartout  was  quite  surprised  at  all  he  saw.  He  was 
not  in  the  city  of  1849,  '^^  the  city  of  bandits,  incendiaries, 
and  assassins,  running  after  the  native  gold,  an  immense 
concourse  of  all  the  outlaws,  who  gambled  with  gold  dust,  a 
revolver  in  one  hand  and  a  knife  in  the  other.  This  **  good 
time  "  had  passed  away.  San  Francisco  presented  the  as- 
pect of  a  large  commercial  city.  The  high  tower  of  the  City 
Hall  overlooked  all  these  streets  and  avenues,  crossing  each 
other  at  right  angles,  between  which  were  spread  out  ver- 
dant squares,  then  a  Chinese  quarter,  which  seemed  to  have 
been  imported  from  the  Celestial  Empire  in  a  toy-box.  No 
more  sombreros,  or  red  shirts  after  the  fashion  of  the 
miners,  or  Indians  with  feathers,  but  silk  hats  and  black 
clothes  worn  by  a  large  number  of  gentlemen  of  absorbing 
activity.  Certain  streets,  among  others  Montgomery 
street,  the  Regent  street  of  London,  the  Boulevard  des 
Italiens  of  Paris,  the  Broadway  of  New  York,  the  State 
street  of  Chicago  were  lined  with  splendid  stores,  in  whose 
windows  were  displayed  the  products  of  the  entire  world. 


A    GLIMPSE    OF    SAN    FRANCISCO        277 

'  When  Passepartout  arrived  at  the  International  Hotel,  it 
seemed  to  him  that  he  had  not  left  England.  The  ground 
floor  of  the  hotel  was  occupied  by  an  immense  bar,  a  sort  of 
sideboard  opened  gratis  to  every  passer-by.  Dried  beef, 
oyster  soup,  biscuit,  and  cheese  were  dealt  out  without  the 
customer  having  to  take  out  his  purse.  He  only  paid  for 
his  drink — ale,  porter,  or  sherry,  if  he  fancied  refreshment. 
That  appeared  "  very  American  "  to  Passepartout.  The 
hotel  restaurant  was  comfortable.  Mr.  Fogg  and  Aouda 
took  seats  at  a  table  and  were  abundantly  served  in  very 
small  dishes  by  negroes  of  darkest  hue. 

After  breakfast,  Phileas  Fogg,  accompanied  by  Aouda, 
left  the  hotel  to  go  to  the  office  of  the  English  consul  to 
have  his  passport  vised  there.  On  the  pavement,  he  found 
his  servant,  who  asked  him  if  it  would  not  be  prudent,  be- 
fore starting  on  the  Pacific  railroad,  to  buy  a  few  dozen 
Enfield  rifles  or  Colt's  revolvers.  Passepartout  had  heard 
so  much  talk  of  the  Sioux  and  Pawnees  stopping  trains  hke 
ordinary  Spanish  brigands.  Mr.  Fogg  replied  that  it  was 
a  useless  precaution,  but  he  left  him  free  to  act  as  he  thought 
best.     Then  he  went  to  the  ofiice  of  the  consul. 

Phileas  Fogg  had  not  gone  two  hundred  steps,  when, 
"by  the  greatest  accident,"  he  met  Fix,  who  manifested 
very  great  surprise!  How!  Mr.  Fogg  and  he  had  taken 
together  the  voyage  across  the  Pacific,  and  they  had  not 
met  on  board  the  vessel  1  At  all  events.  Fix  could  only  be 
honored  by  seeing  again  the  gentleman  to  whom  he  owed 
so  much;  and  his  business  calling  him  to  Europe,  he  would 
be  delighted  to  continue  his  journey  in  such  agreeable  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Fogg  replied  that  the  honor  would  be  his,  and  Fix — 
who  made  it  a  point  not  to  lose  sight  of  him — asked  his 
permission  to  visit  with  him  this  curious  city  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, which  was  granted. 

Aouda,  Phileas  Fogg,  and  Fix  sauntered  through  the 
streets.  They  soon  found  themselves  in  Montgomery 
street,  where  the  crowd  of  people  was  enormous.  On  the 
sidewalks,  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  on  the  horse-car  rails, 
notwithstanding  the  incessant  passage  of  the  coaches  and 
omnibuses,  on  the  steps  of  the  stores,  in  the  windows  of  all 
the  houses,  and  even  up  to  the  roofs,  there  was  an  innumer- 
able   crowd.     Men    with    placards    circulated    among    the 


278      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

groups.  Banners  and  steamers  floated  in  the  wind.  There 
were  shouts  in  every  direction. 

"Hurrah  for  Camerfield !  " 

"Hurrah  for  Mandiboy !  " 

It  was  a  pohtical  meeting.  At  least  so  Fix  thought,  and 
he  communicated  his  ideas  to  Mr.  Fogg,  adding,  "  We  will 
perhaps  do  well,  sir,  not  to  mingle  in  this  crowd.  Only 
hard  blows  will  be  got  here." 

"  In  fact,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  blows,  if  they  are  polit- 
ical, are  not  less  blows." 

Fix  could  not  help  smiling  at  this  remark,  and  in  order  to 
see,  without  being  caught  in  the  crowd,  Aouda,  Phileas 
Fogg  and  he  secured  a  place  upon  the  upper  landing  of  a 
flight  of  steps  reaching  to  the  top  of  a  terrace,  situated  in 
the  upper  end  of  Montgomery  street.  Before  them,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  street,  between  the  wharf  of  a  coal  mer- 
chant and  the  warehouse  of  a  petroleum  dealer,  there  was  a 
large  platform  in  the  open  air,  towards  which  the  various 
currents  of  the  crowd  seemed  to  be  tending. 

Why  this  meeting?  What  was  the  occasion  of  its  being 
held?  Phileas  Fogg  did  not  know  at  all.  Was  it  for  the 
nomination  of  some  high  military  or  civil  official,  a  State 
Governor,  or  a  member  of  Congress?  It  might  readily  be 
supposed  so,  seeing  the  great  excitement  that  was  agitating 
the  city. 

At  this  moment  there  was  quite  a  movement  in  the  crowd. 
Every  hand  was  thrown  in  the  air.  Some,  tightly  closed, 
seemed  to  rise  and  fall  rapidly  in  the  midst  of  the  cries — 
an  energetic  manner,  no  doubt,  of  casting  a  vote.  The 
crowd  fell  back.  The  banners  wavered,  disappeared  for  an 
instant,  and  reappeared  in  tatters.  The  surging  of  the 
crowd  extended  to  the  steps,  whilst  every  head  moved  up 
and  down  on  the  surface  like  a  sea  suddenly  agitated  by  a 
squall.  The  number  of  black  hats  diminished  perceptibly, 
and  the  most  of  them  seemed  to  have  lost  their  normal 
height. 

"  It  is  evidently  a  meeting,"  said  Fix ;  "  and  the  question 
which  has  excited  it  must  be  a  stirring  one.  I  would  not  be 
astonished  if  they  were  still  discussing  the  Alabama  affair, 
although  it  has  been  settled." 

"  Perhaps,"  simply  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  In  any  event,"  replied  Fix,  "  two  champions  are  in  each 


A    GLIMPSE   OF    SAN    FRANCISCO        279 

other's  presence,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Camerfield  and  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Mandiboy." 

Aouda,  leaning  on  Phileas  Fogg's  arm,  looked  with  sur- 
prise at  this  noisy  scene,  and  Fix  was  going  to  ask  one  of  his 
neighbors  the  reason  of  this  popular  effervescence,  when  a 
more  violent  movement  broke  out.  The  hurrahs,  inter- 
spersed with  insults,  redoubled.  The  staffs  of  the  banners 
were  transformed  into  offensive  arms.  Instead  of  hands, 
there  were  fists  everywhere.  From  the  top  of  carriages  and 
omnibuses  blocked  in  their  course,  formidable  blows  were 
exchanged.  Everything  was  made  use  of  as  projectiles. 
Boots  and  shoes  described  extended  curves  in  the  air,  and  it 
seemed  even  as  if  some  revolvers  mingled  their  national 
sounds  with  the  loud  cries  of  the  crowd. 

The  crowd  approached  the  flight  of  stairs,  and  swept  over 
onto  the  lower  steps.  One  of  the  parties  had  evidently 
been  repulsed  without  disinterested  spectators  knowing 
whether  the  advantage  was  with  Mandiboy  or  Camerfield. 

"  I  believe  that  it  is  prudent  for  us  to  retire,"  said  Fix, 
who  did  not  want  his  "  man  "  to  get  hurt  or  mixed  up  in  a 
bad  business.  "  If  this  is  an  English  question,  and  we  are 
recognized,  we  will  be  treated  roughly  in  this  mixed  crowd." 

"  An  English  citizen "  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

But  the  gentleman  could  not  finish  his  sentence.  Behind 
him,  on  the  terrace  above  the  stairs,  there  were  frightful 
yells.  They  cried,  "  Hip !  hip !  hurrah  for  Mandiboy !  "  It 
was  a  party  of  voters  coming  to  the  rescue,  flanking  the 
Camerfield  party. 

Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  Fix  found  themselves  between  two 
fires.  It  was  too  late  to  escape.  This  torrent  of  men, 
armed  with  loaded  canes  and  bludgeons,  was  irresistible. 
Phileas  Fogg  and  Fix,  in  protecting  the  young  woman,  were 
very  roughly  treated.  Mr.  Fogg,  not  less  phlegmatic  than 
usual,  tried  to  defend  himself  with  the  natural  weapons 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  arms  of  every  Englishman,  but  in 
vain.  A  large  rough  fellow,  with  a  red  beard,  flushed  face, 
and  broad  shoulders,  who  seemed  to  be  the  chief  of  the 
band,  raised  his  formidable  fist  to  strike  Mr.  Fogg,  and 
he  would  have  damaged  that  gentleman  very  much,  if  Fix, 
throwing  himself  in  the  way,  had  not  received  the  blow  in 
his  place.  An  enormous  bump  rose  at  once  under  the  de- 
tective's silk  hat,  transformed  into  a  simple  cap. 


28o      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

"  Yankee ! "  said  Mr.  Fogg,  casting  at  his  adversary  a 
look  of  deep  scorn. 

"Englishman!"  rephed  the  other.  "We  will  see  each 
other  again." 

"  When  you  please." 

"Your  name?" 

"  Phileas  Fogg.     And  yours?  " 

"  Colonel  Stamp  Proctor." 

Then  the  crowd  passed  on,  throwing  Fix  down.  He  rose 
with  his  clothes  torn,  but  without  serious  hurt.  '  His  trav- 
eling overcoat  was  torn  in  two  unequal  parts,  and  his 
pantaloons  resembled  those  of  certain  Indians,  who,  as  a 
fashion,  put  them  on  only  after  first  taking  out  the  seat. 
But  to  sum  up,  Aouda  had  been  spared,  and  Fix  alone  had 
been  harmed  by  the  fist-blow. 

"  Thanks,"  said  Mr.  Fogg  to  the  detective,  as  soon  as 
they  were  out  of  the  crowd. 

"No  thanks  necessary;"  replied  Fix,  "but  come  with 


me." 


"Where?" 

"  To  a  tailor's." 

In  fact,  this  visit  was  opportune.  The  garments  of 
Phileas  Fogg  and  Fix  were  in  tatters,  as  if  these  two  gen- 
tlemen had  fought  for  Hon.  Messrs.  Camerfield  and  Mandi- 
boy. 

An  hour  afterwards  they  had  respectable  clothes  and  hats. 
Then  they  returned  to  the  International  Hotel. 

Passepartout  was  waiting  there  for  his  master,  armed 
with  a  half-dozen  sharp-shooting,  six-barreled,  breech- 
loading  revolvers.  When  he  perceived  Fix  in  company 
with  Mr.  Fogg,  his  brow  darkened.  Aouda,  however,  hav- 
ing told  in  a  few  words  what  had  happened,  Passepartout 
became  calm  again.  Fix  was  evidently  no  longer  an  enemy 
but  an  ally.     He  was  keeping  his  word. 

Dinner  over,  a  coach  drove  up  to  take  the  passengers  and 
their  baggage  to  the  station.  As  they  were  getting  into  the 
coach  Mr.  Fogg  said  to  Fix,  "  Did  you  see  Colonel  Proctor 
again?  " 

I*  No,"  replied  Fix. 

"  I  shall  return  to  America  to  find  him  again,"  said  Mr. 
Fogg  coldly.  "  It  would  not  be  proper  for  an  English 
citzen  to  allow  himself  to  be  treated  in  this  way." 


it 
(( 
(t 


A    GLIMPSE    OF    SAN    FRANCISCO        281 

The  detective  smiled  and  did  not  answer  him.  But  it  is 
seen  that  Mr.  Fogg  was  one  of  those  Englishmen,  who, 
while  they  do  not  tolerate  dueling  at  home,  will  fight 
abroad,  when  it  is  necessary  to  maintain  their  honor. 

At  a  quarter  before  six  the  travelers  reached  the  station 
and  found  the  train  ready  to  start.  At  the  moment  that 
Mr.  Fogg  was  going  to  get  into  the  cars,  he  called  a  porter 
and  asked  him,  "Was  there  not  some  disturbance  in  San 
Francisco  to-day?  " 

"  It  was  a  political  meeting,  sir,"  replied  the  porter. 
But  I  thought  I  noticed  some  excitement  in  the  streets." 
It  was  simply  a  meeting  for  an  election." 
The  election  of  a  general-in-chief,  doubtless?"  asked 
Mr.  Fogg. 

"  No,  sir,  of  a  justice  of  the  peace." 

Upon  this  reply,  Phileas  Fogg  jumped  aboard  the  car, 
and  the  train  started  at  full  speed. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

IN    WHICH   OUR   PARTY   TAKE  THE   EXPRESS   TRAIN   ON    THE 

PACIFIC    RAILROAD 

"  From  Ocean  to  Ocean  " — so  say  the  Americans,  and 
these  four  words  ought  to  be  the  general  name  of  the 
"  grand  trunk,"  which  traverses  the  United  States  in  their 
greatest  breadth.  But,  in  reality,  the  Pacific  Railroad  is 
divided  into  two  distinct  parts;  the  Central  Pacific  from  San 
Francisco  to  Ogden,  and  the  Union  Pacific  from  Ogden  to 
Omaha.  At  that  point  five  distinct  lines  meet,  which  place 
Omaha  in  frequent  communication  with  New  York. 

New  York  and  San  Francisco  are  therefore  now  united 
by  an  uninterrupted  metal  ribbon,  measuring  not  less  than 
three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-six  miles.  Be- 
tween Omaha  and  the  Pacific,  the  railroad  traverses  a  coun- 
try still  frequented  by  the  Indians  and  wild  animals — a  vast 
extent  of  territory  which  the  Mormons  commenced  to 
colonize  about  1845,  after  they  were  driven  out  of  Illinois. 

Formerly,  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  it  took 
six  months  to  go  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco.  Now 
it  is  done  in  seven  days.  It  was  in  1862,  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  the  Southern  Congressmen,  who  wished  a 


282      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

more  southerly  line,  that  the  route  of  the  railroad  was  fixed 
between  the  forty-first  and  the  forty-second  parallel.  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  of  so  lamented  memory,  himself  fixed  in  the 
State  of  Nebraska,  at  the  city  of  Omaha,  the  beginning  of 
the  new  network.  Work  was  commenced  immediately,  and 
prosecuted  with  that  American  activity,  which  is  neither 
slow  nor  routine-like.  The  rapidity  of  the  construction  did 
not  in  any  way  injure  its  thoroughness.  On  the  prairies 
the  road  progressed  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  and  a  half  per  day. 
A  locomotive,  moving  over  the  rails  laid  yesterday,  carried 
the  rails  for  the  next  day,  and  ran  upon  them  in  proportion 
as  they  were  laid. 

Such  was  this  long  artery  which  the  trains  would  pass 
over  in  seven  days,  and  which  would  permit  the  Honorable 
Phileas  Fogg — at  least  he  hoped  so — to  take  the  Liverpool 
steamer,  on  the  nth,  at  New  York. 

The  car  occupied  by  Phileas  Fogg  was  a  sort  of  long 
omnibus,  resting  on  two  trucks,  each  with  four  wheels, 
whose  ease  of  motion  permits  of  going  round  short  curves. 
There  were  no  compartments  inside;  two  rows  of  seats 
placed  on  each  side,  perpendicularly  to  the  axle,  and  be- 
tween which  was  reserved  an  aisle,  leading  to  the  dressing- 
rooms  and  others,  with  which  each  car  is  provided.  Through 
the  whole  length  of  the  train  the  cars  communicated  by 
platforms,  and  the  passengers  could  move  about  from  one 
end  to  the  other  of  the  train,  which  placed  at  their  disposal 
palace,  balcony,  restaurant,  and  smoking  cars.  All  that  is 
wanting  is  a  theater  car.     But  there  will  be  one,  some  day. 

On  the  platforms  book  and  newsdealers  were  constantly 
circulating,  dealing  out  their  merchandise;  and  vendors  of 
liquors,  eatables  and  cigars,  were  not  wanting  in  customers. 

The  travelers  left  Oakland  Station  at  six  o'clock.  It 
was  already  night,  cold  and  dreary,  with  an  overcast  sky, 
threatening  snow.  The  train  did  not  move  with  great 
rapidity.  Counting  the  stops,  it  did  not  run  more  than 
twenty  miles  an  hour,  a  speed  which  ought,  however,  to  en- 
able it  to  cross  the  United  States  in  the  fixed  time. 

They  talked  but  little  in  the  car.  Sleep  soon  overcame 
the  passengers.  Passepartout  sat  near  the  detective,  but  he 
did  not  speak  to  him.  Since  the  late  events,  their  relations 
had  become  somewhat  cold.  No  more  sympathy  or  inti- 
macy.    Fix  had  not  changed  his  manner,  but  Passepartout 


OUR    PARTY    TAKE    THE    EXPRESS      283 

retained  an  extreme  reserve,  ready  at  the  least  suspicion  to 
choke  his  old  friend. 

An  hour  after  the  starting  of  the  train  a  fine  snow  com- 
menced to  fall,  which  fortunately  could  not  delay  the  prog- 
ress of  the  train.  Through  the  windows  nothing  was  seen 
but  an  immense  white  sheet,  against  which  the  clouds  of 
steam  from  the  locomotive  looked  grayish. 

At  eight  o'clock  a  steward  entered  the  car,  and  announced 
to  the  passengers  that  the  hour  for  retiring  had  come.  This 
was  a  sleeping  car,  which  in  a  few  minutes  was  transformed 
into  a  dormitory.  The  backs  of  the  seats  unfolded,  beds 
carefully  packed  away  were  unrolled  by  an  ingenious  system, 
berths  were  improvised  in  a  few  moments,  and  each  pas- 
senger had  soon  at  his  disposal  a  comfortable  bed,  which 
thick  curtains  protected  from  all  indiscreet  looks.  The 
sheets  were  clean  and  the  pillows  soft.  Nothing  more  to 
be  done  but  to  lie  down  and  sleep — which  everyone  did,  as 
if  he  had  been  in  the  comfortable  cabin  of  a  steamer — while 
the  train  moved  on  under  full  head  of  steam  across  the  State 
of  California. 

In  that  portion  of  the  country  between  San  Francisco 
and  Sacramento  the  ground  is  not  very  hilly.  This  portion 
of  the  railroad,  under  the  name  of  the  Central  Pacific,  orig- 
inally had  Sacramento  for  its  starting  point,  and  went  to- 
wards the  east  to  meet  that  starting  from  Omaha.  From. 
San  Francisco  to  the  capital  of  California,  the  line  ran  di- 
rectly to  the  northeast,  along  American  river,  which 
empties  into  San  Pablo  Bay.  The  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  included  between  these  two  important  cities  were  ac- 
complished in  six  hours,  and  towards  midnight,  while  they 
were  getting  their  first  sleep,  the  travelers  passed  through 
Sacramento. 

It  was  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  Cisco  Station 
was  passed.  An  hour  afterwards  the  dormitory  had  be- 
come an  ordinary  car,  and  the  passengers  could  get  through 
the  windows  a  glimpse  of  the  picturesque  views  of  this 
mountainous  country.  The  route  of  the  train  followed 
the  windings  of  the  Sierra,  here  clinging  to  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  there  suspended  above  precipices,  avoiding  sharp 
angles  by  bold  curves,  plunging  into  narrow  gorges  from 
which  there  seemed  to  be  no  exit.  The  locomotive,  flash- 
ing fiire  like  a  chased  animal,  its  large  smoke-pipe  throwing 


284      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

out  lurid  lights,  its  sharp  bell,  its  cow-catcher,  extending  out 
like  a  spur,  mingled  its  shrieks  and  bellowings  with  the 
noise  of  the  torrents  and  cascades,  and  twined  its  smoke 
in  the  dark  branches  of  the  firs. 

There  were  few  or  no  tunnels  or  bridges  on  the  route. 
The  railroad  turned  the  flank  of  the  mountains,  not  seeking 
in  a  straight  line  the  shortest  route  from  one  point  to  an- 
other, and  not  doing  violence  to  nature.  About  nine 
o'clock,  the  train  entered  the  State  of  Nevada,  through  the 
Carson  Valley,  always  following  a  northeasterly  direction. 
At  noon  it  left  Reno,  where  the  passengers  had  twenty  min- 
utes for  breakfast.  From  this  point,  the  iron  road,  skirt- 
ing Humboldt  river,  passed  a  few  miles  to  the  north.  Then 
it  bent  to  the  east,  and  did  not  leave  the  stream  until  it 
reached  the  Humboldt  range,  where  the  river  takes  its 
source,  nearly  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  State  of  Nevada. 

After  breakfasting,  Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda  and  their  com- 
panions took  their  seats  again  in  the  car.  Phileas  Fogg, 
the  young  woman.  Fix,  and  Passepartout,  comfortably 
seated,  looked  at  the  varied  country  passing  before  their 
sight,  vast  prairies,  mountains  whose  profiles  were  shown 
upon  the  horizon,  and  creeks  tumbling  down,  a  foaming 
mass  of  water.  Sometimes,  a  large  herd  of  bisons,  gather- 
ing in  the  distance,  appeared  like  a  moving  dam.  These  in- 
numerable armies  of  grazing  animals  frequently  oppose  an 
insurmountable  obstacle  to  the  passage  of  trains.  Thou- 
sands of  these  animals  have  been  seen  moving  on  for  sev- 
eral hours  in  close  ranks  across  the  railroad.  The  loco- 
motive is  then  forced  to  stop  and  wait  until  the  path  is  clear 
again. 

The  same  thing  happened  on  this  occasion.  About  three 
o'clock  in  tlie  afternoon  a  herd  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand 
blocked  the  railroad.  The  engine,  having  slackened  its 
speed,  tried  to  plunge  its  spur  into  the  flank  of  the  immense 
column,  but  it  had  to  stop  before  the  impenetrable  mass. 

They  saw  these  buffaloes,  as  the  Americans  improperly 
call  them,  moving  with  their  steady  gait,  frequently  bellow- 
ing terribly.  They  had  a  larger  body  than  those  of  the 
bulls  of  Europe,  short  legs  and  tail,  a  projecting  saddle 
forming  a  muscular  bump,  horns  separated  at  the  base, 
their  heads,  neck,  and  shoulders  covered  with  long,  shaggy- 
hair.     They  could  not  think  of  stopping  this  moving  mass. 


OUR    PARTY    TAKE   THE    EXPRESS      285 

When  the  bisons  have  adopted  a  course,  nothing  could 
swerve  them  from  it  or  modify  it.  They  are  a  torrent  of 
living  flesh  which  no  dam  could  hold. 

The  travelers,  scattered  on  the  platforms,  looked  at  this 
curious  spectacle.  But  Phileas  Fogg,  who  ought  to  be  the 
most  in  a  hurry,  had  remained  in  his  seat,  and  was  waiting 
philosophically  until  it  should  please  the  buffaloes  to  open 
a  passage.  Passepartout  was  furious  at  the  delay  caused 
by  this  mass  of  animals.  He  wanted  to  fire  all  his  revolvers 
at  them. 

"  What  a  country !  "  he  cried.  "  Mere  cattle  stop  trains, 
and  move  along  in  procession  without  hurrying,  as  if  they 
did  not  impede  travel!  Parbleu!  I  would  like  to  know  if 
Mr.  Fogg  had  foreseen  this  mischance  in  his  programme! 
And  what  an  engineer,  who  does  not  dare  to  rush  his  engine 
through  this  impeding  mass  of  beasts!" 

The  engineer  had  not  attempted  to  overcome  the 
obstacle,  and  he  acted  wisely.  He  would  undoubtedly  have 
crushed  the  first  buffaloes  struck  by  the  cow-catcher;  but, 
powerful  as  it  was,  the  engine  would  have  soon  been  stopped, 
and  the  train  thrown  off  the  track  and  wrecked. 

The  best  course,  then,  was  to  wait  patiently,  ready  to 
make  up  the  lost  time  by  an  increase  of  the  speed  of  the 
train.  The  passage  of  the  bisons  lasted  three  full  hours, 
and  the  road  was  not  clear  again  until  night-fall.  At  this 
moment  the  last  ranks  of  the  herd  crossed  the  rails,  whilst 
the  first  were  disappearing  below  the  southern  horizon. 

It  was  then  eight  o'clock,  when  the  train  passed  through 
the  defiles  of  the  Humboldt  range,  and  half-past  nine  when 
it  entered  Utah  Territory,  the  region  of  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  the  curious  Mormon  country. 


CHAPTER    XXVn 

IN     WHICH     PASSEPARTOUT     FOLLOWS,     WITH     A     SPEED    OF 

TWENTY   MILES   AN    HOUR,   A   COURSE  OF 

MORMON   HISTORY 

During  the  night  of  the  5th  to  the  6th  of  December,  the 
train  went  for  fifty  miles  to  the  southeast,  then  it  ran  up- 
wards about  as  far  northerly,  approaching  the  Great  Salt 
Lake. 


286      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

Passepartout,  about  nine  o'clock  In  the  morning,  went 
on  the  platform  to  take  the  air.  The  weather  was  cold,  the 
sky  gray,  but  it  had  stopped  snowing.  The  disc  of  the  sun, 
enlarged  b}^  the  mist,  looked  like  an  enormous  piece  of  gold, 
and  Passepartout  was  busy  calculating  its  value  in  pounds 
sterling,  when  his  attention  was  taken  from  this  useful 
work  by  the  appearance  of  a  very  strange  personage. 

This  personage,  who  took  the  train  at  Elko  Station,  was 
tall,  very  brown,  had  black  mustache,  black  stockings,  a 
black  silk  hat,  black  waistcoat,  black  pantaloons,  white  cra- 
vat, and  black  dog-skin  gloves.  He  might  have  been  taken 
for  a  clergyman.  He  went  from  one  end  of  the  train  to  the 
other,  and  on  the  door  of  each  car  fastened  with  wafers  a 
written  notice. 

Passepartout  approached  and  read  on  one  of  these  notices 
that  Elder  William  Hitch,  taking  advantage  of  his  presence 
on  train  No.  48,  would,  from  eleven  to  twelve  o'clock,  de- 
liver an  address  on  Mormonism  in  car  No.  117 — inviting 
to  hear  him  all  desirous  of  being  instructed  concerning  the 
mysteries  of  the  religion  of  the  "  Latter  Day  Saints." 

"Certainly,  I  will  go,"  said  Passepartout  to  himself,  who 
knew  nothing  of  Mormonism  but  its  custom  of  polygamy, 
the  base  of  Mormon  society. 

The  news  spread  rapidly  through  the  train,  which  carried 
about  one  hundred  passengers.  Of  this  number  thirty  at 
most,  attracted  by  the  notice  of  the  meeting,  occupied  at 
eleven  o'clock  the  seats  in  car  No.  117.  Passepartout  was 
prominent  in  the  front  rank  of  the  faithful.  Neither  his 
master  nor  Fix  thought  it  worth  while  to  take  the  trouble. 

At  the  appointed  hour  Elder  William  Hitch  rose,  and  in 
quite  an  irritated  voice,  as  if  he  had  been  contradicted  in 
advance,  he  cried,  "  I  tell  you  that  Joe  Smith  is  a  martyr, 
that  his  brother  Hiram  is  a  martyr,  and  that  the  persecution 
by  the  United  States  Government  of  the  prophets  will  also 
make  a  martyr  of  Brigham  Young.  Who  dares  to  main- 
tain the  contrary.?" 

No  one  ventured  to  contradict  the  missionary,  whose  ex- 
citement contrasted  with  his  naturally  calm  physiognomy. 
But,  without  doubt,  his  anger  was  explained  by  the  fact  that 
Mormonism  was  now  subjected  to  severe  trials.  The 
United  States  Government  had,  not  without  difficulty,  just 
reduced   these   independent    fanatics.     It   had   made    itself 


A    COURSE   OF    MORMON    HISTORY      287 

master  of  Utah,  and  had  subjected  it  to  the  laws  of  the 
Union,  after  imprisoning  Brigham  Young,  accused  of  re- 
bellion and  polygamy.  Since  that  period,  the  disciples  of 
the  prophet  redoubled  their  efforts,  and  whilst  not  coming 
to  acts,  resisted  in  words  the  demands  of  Congress. 

We  see  that  Elder  William  Hitch  was  trying  to  proselyte 
even  on  the  trains.  And  then  he  related,  emphasizing  his 
narrative  by  his  loud  voice  and  the  violence  of  his  gestures, 
the  history  of  Mormonism  from  Bible  times,  how  in  Israel, 
a  Mormon  prophet  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  published  the 
annals  of  the  new  religion  and  bequeathed  them  to  his  son 
Morom;  how,  many  centuries  later,  a  translation  of  this 
precious  book,  written  in  Egyptian  characters,  was  made 
by  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  a  farmer  in  the  State  of  Vermont, 
who  revealed  himself  as  a  mystical  prophet  in  1825;  how, 
finally,  a  celestial  messenger  appeared  to  him  in  an  illumi- 
nated forest  and  gave  him  the  annals  of  the  Lord. 

At  this  moment,  some  of  his  hearers,  not  much  interested 
in  the  retrospective  narrative  of  the  missionary,  left  the 
car;  but  William  Hitch,  continuing,  related  how  Smith, 
Jr.,  with  his  father,  his  two  brothers,  and  a  few  disciples, 
founded  the  religion  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints — a  religon 
which,  adopted  not  only  in  America,  but  in  England,  in 
Scandinavia,  and  in  Germany,  counts  among  its  faithful, 
artisans  and  also  a  number  of  people  engaged  in  the  liberal 
professions;  how  a  colony  was  founded  in  Ohio;  how  a 
temple  was  built  at  a  cost  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  a  city  built  at  Kirkland;  how  Smith  became  an  enter- 
prising banker  and  received  from  a  simple  mummy  show- 
man a  papyrus  scroll  containing  a  narrative  written  by 
Abraham  and  other  celebrated  Egyptians. 

This  narrative  becoming  a  httle  long,  the  ranks  of  his 
hearers  thinned  out  still  more,  and  the  audience  only  con- 
sisted of  twenty  persons.  But  the  Elder,  undisturbed  by 
this  desertion,  related  the  details  of  how  Joe  Smith  became 
bankrupt  in  1837;  how  his  ruined  stockholders  gave  him 
a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers;  how  he  appeared  again,  more 
honorable  and  more  honored  than  ever,  a  few  years  after, 
at  Independence,  in  Missouri,  at  the  head  of  a  flourishing 
community,  which  counted  not  less  than  three  thousand 
disciples;  and  that  then,  pursued  by  the  hatred  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, he  had  to  fly  to  the  far  West. 


288      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

Ten  hearers  were  still  there,  and  among  them  the  honest 
Passepartout,  who  listened  with  all  his  ears.  Thus  he 
learned  how,  after  long  persecutions,  Smith  reap- 
peared in  Illinois,  and  in  1839  founded,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi,  Nauvoo  the  beautiful,  whose  population 
rose  to  twenty-five  thousand  souls;  how  Smith  became  the 
Mayor,  Chief  Justice,  and  General-in-Chief;  how  in  1843 
he  announced  himself  as  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States;  and  how  finally,  he  was  drawn  into  an 
ambuscade  at  Carthage,  thrown  into  prison,  and  assassi- 
nated by  a  band  of  masked  men. 

At  this  moment  Passepartout  was  the  only  hearer  in  the 
car,  and  the  Elder,  looking  him  in  the  face,  fascinating  him 
by  the  words,  recalled  to  his  mind  that,  two  years  after  the 
assassination  of  Smith,  his  successor,  the  inspired  prophet 
Brigham  Young,  leaving  Nauvoo,  established  himself  on 
the  banks  of  Salt  Lake,  and  that  there,  in  that  splendid 
Territory,  in  the  midst  of  that  fertile  country,  on  the  road 
which  the  emigrants  take  in  crossing  Utah  to  reach  Cali- 
fornia, the  new  colony,  thanks  to  the  Mormon  principles  of 
polygamy,  had  increased  enormously. 

"  And  this,"  added  William  Hitch,  "  is  why  the  jealousy 
of  Congress  has  been  aroused  against  us!  why  the  United 
States  soldiers  have  invaded  the  soil  of  Utah!  why  our 
chief,  the  prophet  Brigham  Young,  has  been  imprisoned  in 
defiance  of  all  justice.  Shall  we  give  up  to  force?  Never! 
Driven  from  Vermont,  driven  from  Illinois,  driven  from 
Ohio,  driven  from  Missouri,  driven  from  Utah,  we  shall 
find  some  independent  territory  yet  where  we  shall  pitch  our 
tents.  And  you  my  brother,"  added  the  Elder,  fixing  his 
angr}^  look  on  his  single  hearer,  "  will  you  plant  yours  in 
the  shadow  of  our  flag?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Passepartout  bravely,  flying  in  his  turn, 
leaving  the  fanatic  to  preach  in  the  desert. 

But,  during  this  discourse,  the  train  had  advanced  rapidly, 
and  about  half -past  twelve  it  touched  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  Thence  could  be  embraced  in  a 
vast  circumference  the  aspect  of  this  inland  lake,  which  also 
bears  the  name  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  into  which  empties  an 
American  Jordan.  A  beautiful  lake,  hemmed  in  by  craggy 
rocks  of  broad  surface,  encrusted  with  white  salt,  a  superb 
sheet  of  water  which  formerly  covered  a  larger  space;  but 

V.  VU  V«rn« 


A   COURSE   OF    MORMON    HISTORY      289 

in  time,  its  shores,  rising  by  degrees,  reduced  its  superficial 
area  and  increased  its  depth. 

The  Salt  Lake,  about  seventy  miles  long,  and  thirty-five 
•wide,  is  situated  three  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  It  holds  considerable  salt  in  solution, 
and  one-fourth  the  weight  of  the  water  is  solid  matter.  Its 
specific  gravity  is  1,170,  that  of  distilled  water  being  1,000. 
Fishes  cannot  live  in  it.  Those  that  the  Jordan,  Weber, 
and  other  creeks,  carry  into  it  soon  perish;  but  it  is  not 
true  that  the  density  of  its  waters  is  such  that  a  man  cannot 
dive  into  it. 

Around  the  lake  the  country  was  admirably  tilled;  for 
the  Mormons  understand  agricultural  pursuits;  ranches  and 
corrals  for  domestic  animals;  fields  of  wheat,  corn,  sor- 
ghum, luxuriant  prairies,  and  everywhere  hedges  of  wild 
roses,  clumps  of  acacias  and  euphorbias,  such  would  have 
been  the  appearance  of  this  country  six  months  later;  but 
at  this  moment  the  ground  was  covered  with  a  thin  sheet 
of  snow,  descending  lightly  upon  it. 

At  two  o'clock  the  travelers  got  out  at  Ogden.  The  train 
stopping  for  six  hours,  Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  their  two 
companions  had  time  to  repair  to  the  City  of  the  Saints 
by  the  short  branch  from  Ogden.  Two  hours  were  suffi- 
cient to  visit  this  absolutely  American  town,  and  as  such, 
built  after  the  pattern  of  all  the  cities  of  the  Union,  vast 
checker-boards  with  long  cold  lines,  "  with  the  somber  sad- 
ness of  right  angles,"  according  to  Victor  Hugo's  ex- 
pression. The  founder  of  the  City  of  the  Saints  could 
not  escape  from  the  need  of  symmetry  which  distin- 
guishes the  Anglo-Saxons.  In  this  singular  country,  where 
the  men  are  certainly  not  up  to  the  level  of  their  insti- 
tutions, everything  is  done  "  squarely,"  cities,  houses,  and 
follies. 

At  three  o'clock,  the  travelers  were  promenading  through 
the  streets  of  the  town,  built  between  the  banks  of  the 
Jordon  and  the  first  rise  of  the  Wahsatch  Mountains. 
They  noticed  there  few  or  no  churches,  but  as  monuments, 
the  prophet's  house,  the  court-house,  and  the  arsenal;  then 
houses  of  bluish  bricks  with  verandas  and  porches,  sur- 
rounded by  gardens  bordered  with  acacias,  palms  and 
locusts.  A  wall  of  clay  and  pebbles,  built  in  1853,  sur- 
rounded the  town.     In  the  principal  street,  where  the  mar- 


290     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

ket  is,  were  some  hotels  adorned  with  pavilions,  and  among 
others  Salt  Lake  House. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  his  companions  did  not  find  the  town 
thickly  peopled.  The  streets  were  almost  deserted,  save 
perhaps  the  part  where  the  Temple  was,  which  they  reached 
only  after  having  traversed  several  quarters  surrounded  by 
palisades.  The  women  were  pretty  numerous,  which  was 
explained  by  the  singular  composition  of  Mormon  house- 
holds. It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  all  Mormons 
are  polygamists.  They  are  free,  but  it  is  well  to  remark 
that  all  the  females  in  Utah  are  anxious  to  be  married ;  for, 
according  to  the  religion  of  the  country,  the  Mormon  heaven 
does  not  admit  to  the  possession  of  its  beatitudes  the  un- 
married of  the  feminine  sex.  These  poor  creatures  neither 
seemed  well  off,  nor  happy.  Some,  the  richer  ones,  doubt- 
less, wore  a  short,  low-cut,  black  silk  dress,  under  a  hood 
or  a  very  modest  shawl.  The  others  were  dressed  in  Indian 
fashion. 

Passepartout,  in  his  position  as  one  convinced,  did  not 
regard  without  a  certain  fright  these  Mormon  women, 
charged,  in  groups,  with  making  a  single  Mormon  happy. 
With  his  good  sense,  it  was  the  husband  whom  he  specially 
pitied.  It  seemed  to  him  terrible  to  have  to  guide  so  many 
wives  at  once  through  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  conduct  them, 
as  it  were,  in  a  body  to  the  Mormon  paradise,  with  the  pros- 
pect of  finding  them  to  all  eternity  in  the  company  of  the 
glorious  Smith,  who  was  to  be  the  ornament  of  this  place 
of  delights.  Certainly,  he  did  not  feel  called,  and  he 
thought — perhaps  he  was  mistaken — that  the  women  o£ 
Salt  Lake  City  cast  rather  embarrassing  looks  at  his  person. 

Very  fortunately,  his  stay  in  the  City  of  the  Saints  was 
not  prolonged.  At  a  few  minutes  past  four  o'clock  the 
travelers  were  again  at  the  station,  and  took  their  seats  in 
the  cars. 

The  whistle  sounded ;  but  at  the  moment  that  the  driving- 
wheels  of  the  locomotive,  slipping  upon  the  rails,  com- 
menced to  impart  some  movement  to  the  train,  the  cry, 
"  Stop !  stop !  "  was  heard. 

They  do  not  stop  trains  just  started.  The  gentleman 
who  uttered  the  cry  was  evidently  a  Mormon  behind  time. 
He  was  breathless  from  running.  Fortunately  for  him  the 
station  had  neither  gates  nor  barriers.     He  rushed,  then,  on 


A   COURSE   OF   MORMON    HISTORY.      291 

the  track,  jumped  upon  the  steps  of  the  last  car,  and  fell, 
out  of  breath,  on  one  of  the  seats. 

Passepartout,  who  had  followed  with  emotion  the  inci- 
dents of  this  gymnastic  feat,  went  to  look  at  the  tardy  one, 
in  whom  he  took  a  lively  interest,  when  he  learned  that  this 
citizen  of  Utah  had  thus  taken  flight  in  consequence  of  a 
household  scene. 

When  the  Mormon  had  recovered  his  breath,  Passe- 
partout ventured  to  ask  him  politely  how  many  wives  he  had 
to  himself — and  from  the  manner  in  which  he  had  just  run 
away  he  would  suppose  that  he  had  at  least  twenty  of  them. 

"  One,  sir ! "  replied  the  Mormon,  raising  his  arms 
heavenward — "  One,  and  that  was  enough !  " 


CHAPTER  XXVni 

IN  WHICH  PASSEPARTOUT  COULD  NOT  SUCCEED  IN   MAKING 
ANYONE  LISTEN  TO  REASON 

The  train  leaving  Great  Salt  Lake  and  the  station  at 
Ogden,  ran  for  an  hour  towards  the  north,  as  far  as  Weber 
River,  having  accomplished  about  nine  hundred  miles  from 
San  Francisco.  Leaving  this  point,  it  resumed  the  easterly 
direction  across  the  rocky  hills  of  the  Wahsatch  Mountains. 
It  is  in  this  part  of  the  territory,  comprised  between  these 
mountains  and  the  Rock  Mountains  properly  so  called,  that 
the  American  engineers  were  confronted  with  the  greatest 
difficulties.  On  this  portion  of  the  route  the  subsidy  of  the 
United  States  Government  was  raised  to  forty-eight  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile,  whilst  on  the  plains  it  was  only  six- 
teen thousand  dollars;  but  the  engineers,  as  has  already  been 
said,  have  not  done  violence  to  nature — they  have  played 
with  her,  going  round  the  difficulties.  To  reach  the  great 
basin,  only  one  tunnel,  fourteen  thousand  feet  long,  was 
bored  in  the  entire  route  of  the  railroad. 

At  Salk  Lake  the  road  had  up  to  this  time  reached  its 
greatest  altitude.  From  this  point  its  profile  described  a 
very  long  curve,  descending  towards  Bitter  Creek  Valley, 
then  re-ascending  to  the  dividing  ridge  of  the  waters  be- 
tween the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific.  The  creeks  were  num- 
erous in  this  mountainous  region.  It  was  necessary  to 
cross   the    Muddy,    the    Green,    and    others,    on    culverts. 


292      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Passepartout  became  more  impatient  in  proportion  as  he 
approached  the  end  of  his  journey.  Fix  in  his  turn  would 
have  been  very  glad  to  get  out  of  this  rough  country.  He 
feared  delays,  he  dreaded  accidents,  and  was  more  in  a 
hurry  than  Phileas  Fogg  himself  to  set  foot  upon  English 
soil! 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night  the  train  stopped  at  Fort  Bridger 
station,  which  it  left  almost  immediately,  and  twenty  miles 
further  on  it  entered  Wyoming  Territory — following  the 
entire  valley  of  the  Bitter  Creek,  whence  flow  a  portion  of 
the  streams  forming  the  water  system  of  Colorado. 

The  next  day,  the  7th  of  December,  there  was  a  stop  of 
a  quarter  hour  at  Green  River  station.  The  snow  had 
fallen  quite  heavily  through  the  night,  but  mingled  with  rain 
and  half  melted  it  could  not  interfere  with  the  progress  of 
the  train.  But  this  bad  weather  kept  Passepartout  in  con- 
stant uneasiness,  for  the  accumulation  of  the  snow  clogging 
the  car  wheels  would  certainly  endanger  the  journey. 

"  What  an  idea,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  for  my  master  to 
travel  during  the  winter!  Could  he  not  wait  for  the  fine 
season  of  the  year  to  increase  his  chances?  " 

But  at  this  moment,  while  the  good  fellow  was  busy  only 
with  the  condition  of  the  sky  and  the  lowering  of  the  tem- 
perature, Aouda  was  experiencing  more  serious  fears, 
which  proceeded  from  quite  another  cause. 

Some  of  the  passengers  had  got  out  of  the  cars,  and  were 
walking  on  the  platform  of  the  Green  River  Station,  wait- 
ing for  the  train  to  leave.  The  young  woman,  looking 
through  the  window  pane,  recognized  among  them  Colonel 
Stamp  Proctor,  the  American  who  had  behaved  so  rudely 
to  Phileas  Fogg  at  the  time  of  the  political  meeting  in  San 
Francisco.  Aouda,  not  wishing  to  be  seen,  drew  back  from 
the  window. 

This  circumstance  made  a  lively  impression  upon  the 
young  woman.  She  was  attached  to  the  man  who,  how- 
ever coldly,  gave  her  every  day  tokens  of  the  most  absolute 
devotion.  She  doubtless  did  not  comprehend  the  entire 
depth  of  the  sentiment  which  her  deliverer  inspired  in  her, 
and  to  this  sentiment  she  gave  as  yet  only  the  name  of 
gratitude;  but  unknown  to  herself,  it  was  more  than  that. 
Her  heart  was  therefore  wrung  at  the  sight  of  the  rough 
fellow  of  whom  Mr.  Fogg  would,  sooner  or  later,  demand 


NO    ONE   LISTENS    TO    REASON  293 

satisfaction.  Evidently,  it  was  chance  alone  that  had 
brought  Colonel  Proctor  into  this  train;  but  he  was  there, 
and  Phileas  Fogg  must  be  prevented  at  any  cost  from  see- 
ing his  adversary. 

When  the  train  had  started  again,  Aouda  took  advantage 
of  a  moment,  when  Mr.  Fogg  was  sleeping,  to  post  Fix 
and  Passepartout  as  to  the  situation. 

"That  Proctor  is  on  the  train!"  cried  Fix.  "Well, 
compose  yourself,  madame;  before  dealing  with  the  gentle- 
man— with  Mr.  Fogg — he  will  have  to  deal  with  me!  It 
seems  to  me  that  in  all  this  business  I  have  received  the 
greatest  insults !  " 

"  And  moreover,"  added  Passepartout,  "  I  will  take  care 
of  him.  Colonel  as  he  is." 

"  Mr.  Fix,"  continued  Aouda,  "  Mr.  Fogg  will  allow  no 
one  to  avenge  him.  He  has  said  that  he  will  return  to 
America  to  find  this  ruffian.  If,  then,  he  sees  Colonel  Proc- 
tor, we  cannot  prevent  an  encounter,  which  may  lead  to  de- 
plorable results.     He  must  therefore  not  see  him." 

"You  are  right,  madame,"  replied  Fix;  "an  encounter 
might  ruin  everything.  Conqueror  or  conquered,  Mr. 
Fogg  would  be  delayed,  and " 

"  And,"  added  Passepartout,  "  that  would  win  the  bet  of 
the  gentlemen  of  the  Reform  Club.  In  four  days  we  shall 
be  in  New  York!  Well,  then,  if  my  master  does  not  leave 
his  car  for  four  days,  we  may  hope  that  chance  will  not  put 
him  face  to  face  with  this  cursed  American,  confound  him! 
Now,  we  can  easily  prevent  him " 

The  conversation  was  interrupted.  Mr.  Fogg  had 
waked  up,  and  was  looking  at  the  country  through  the  win- 
dow pane  obscured  by  the  snow.  But  later,  and  without 
being  heard  by  his  master  or  Aouda,  Passepartout  said  to 
the  detective:  "Would  you  truly  fight  for  him.^" 

"  I  would  do  anything  to  take  him  back  to  Europe  alive !  " 
simply  replied  Fix,  in  a  tone  which  indicated  an  unbroken 
will. 

Passepartout  felt  a  shudder  over  him,  but  his  convictions 
as  to  the  honesty  of  his  master  were  not  weakened. 

And  now,  were  there  any  means  by  which  Mr.  Fogg 
could  be  detained  in  this  car,  so  as  to  prevent  any  encounter 
between  him  and  the  colonel?  That  could  not  be  difficult, 
as  the  gentleman  was  naturally  not  excitable  or  inquisitive. 


294      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

At  all  events,  the  detective  thought  he  had  found  this  means, 
for  a  few  moments  later  he  said  to  Phileas  Fogg : 

"  These  are  long  and  slow  hours  that  we  pass  thus  on  the 
railway." 

"  Indeed  they  are,"  replied  the  gentleman,  "  but  they 
pass." 

"  On  board  the  steamers,"  continued  the  detective,  "  you 
used  to  take  a  turn  at  whist?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  but  here  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult.    I  have  neither  cards  nor  partners." 

"  Oh !  as  for  the  cards,  we  will  find  it  easy  to  buy  them. 
They  are  sold  on  all  trains  in  America.  As  for  partners, 
if,  perchance,  madame " 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  replied  the  young  woman  quickly,  "  I 
understand  whist.     That  is  part  of  the  English  education." 

"  And  I,"  continued  Fix,  "  have  some  pretensions  to 
playing  a  good  game.  Now,  with  us  three  and  a 
dummy " 

"  As  you  please,  sir,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  delighted  at 
resuming  his  favorite  game,  even  on  the  railroad. 

Passepartout  was  dispatched  in  search  of  the  steward, 
and  he  soon  returned  with  two  complete  decks  of  cards, 
counters,  and  a  shelf  covered  with  cloth.  Nothing  was 
wanting.  The  game  commenced.  Aouda  understood 
whist  well  enough,  and  she  even  was  complimented  some- 
times by  the  severe  Phileas  Fogg.  As  for  the  detective,  he 
was  simply  an  adept,  and  worthy  of  holding  his  head  up 
with  this  gentleman. 

"  Now,"  said  Passepartout  to  himself,  "  we  will  keep 
him.     He  will  not  budge  any  more !  " 

At  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  train  had  reached 
the  dividing  ridge  of  the  waters  of  the  two  oceans.  It  was 
at  Bridger  Pass,  at  a  height  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
and  twenty-four  English  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
one  of  the  highest  points  touched  by  the  profile  of  the  route 
in  this  passage  across  the  Rocky  Mountains.  After  going 
about  two  hundred  miles,  the  travelers  finally  found  them- 
selves on  the  vast  plains  extending  as  far  as  the  Atlantic, 
and  which  nature  made  so  propitious  for  laying  a  railroad. 

On  the  slopes  of  the  Atlantic  basin  already  appeared  the 
first  streams,  tributaries  of  the  North  Platte  river.  The 
entire  northern  and  eastern  horizon  was  covered  by  the 


NO    ONE   LISTENS    TO    REASON  295 

immense  semi-circular  curtain,  which  forms  the  southern 
portion  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  hightest  being 
Laramie's  Peak.  Between  this  curve  and  the  line  of  the 
road  extended  vast  and  plentifully  watered  plains.  On  the 
right  of  the  road  rose  the  first  spurs  of  the  mountainous 
mass,  rounding  off  to  tlie  south  as  far  as  the  sources  of  the 
Arkansas  river,  one  of  the  large  tributaries  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

At  half  past  twelve,  the  travelers  caught  sight  for  an  in- 
stant of  Fort  Halleck,  which  commands  this  country.  A^ 
few  hours  more,  and  the  crossing  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
would  be  accomplished.  It  was  to  be  hoped,  then,  that  no 
accident  would  mark  the  passage  of  the  train  through  this 
difficult  region.  The  snow  had  stopped  falling.  The 
weather  became  cold  and  dry.  Large  birds,  frightened  by 
the  locomotive,  were  flying  in  the  distance.  Not  a  deer, 
a  bear,  or  a  wolf,  showed  itself  on  the  plain.  It  was  the 
desert  in  all  its  barrenness. 

After  a  very  comfortable  breakfast,  served  up  in  the  car, 
Mr.  Fogg  and  his  partners  had  just  resumed  their  inter- 
minable whist,  when  sharp  whistles  were  heard.  The  train 
stopped. 

Passepartout  put  his  head  out  of  the  door,  and  saw  noth- 
ing which  could  explain  this  stop.  No  station  was  in 
sight. 

Aouda  and  Fix  feared  for  an  instant  that  Mr.  Fogg  would 
think  of  going  out  on  the  track.  But  the  gentleman  con- 
tented himself  with  saying  to  his  servant,  "  See  then  what 
it  is." 

Passepartout  rushed  out  of  the  car.  About  forty  pas- 
sengers had  left  their  seats,  and  among  them  Colonel  Stamp 
Proctor. 

The  train  had  stopped  in  front  of  a  red  signal  whicH 
blocked  the  way.  The  engineer  and  conductor,  having  got 
out,  discussed  quite  excitedly  with  a  signal  man,  whom  the 
station  master  at  Medicine  Bow,  the  next  station,  had  sent 
in  advance  of  the  train.  Some  of  the  passengers  ap- 
proached and  took  part  in  the  discussion,  among  others  the 
aforesaid  Colonel  Proctor,  with  his  loud  voice  and  imper- 
ious gestures. 

Passepartout,  having  rejoined  the  group,  heard  the  signal 
man  say,  "  No !  there  is  no  means  of  passing.     The  bridge 


296     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

at  Medicine  Bow  is  shaky  and  will  not  bear  the  weight  of 
the  train." 

The  bridge  in  question  was  a  suspension  bridge  over  a 
rapids,  about  a  mile  from  the  place  where  the  train  had 
stopped.  According  to  the  signalman,  it  threatened  to  fall, 
several  of  the  wires  having  snapped,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  risk  its  passage.  He  did  not  exaggerate  in  any  way, 
then,  in  asserting  that  they  could  not  pass  over  the  bridge. 
And  besides,  with  the  careless  habits  of  the  Americans,  we 
may  say  that  when  they  are  prudent,  we  would  be  very 
foolish  not  to  be  so. 

Passepartout,  not  daring  to  go  to  inform  his  master, 
listened  with  set  teeth,  immovable  as  a  statue. 

"  Ah,  indeed ! "  cried  Colonel  Proctor,  "  we  are  not 
going,  I  imagine,  to  remain  here,  and  take  root  in  the 
snow !  " 

"  Colonel,"  replied  the  conductor,  "  we  have  telegraphed 
to  Omaha  for  a  train,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  it  will  ar- 
rive at  Medicine  Bow  before  six  hours." 

"  Six  hours !  "  cried  Passepartout. 
^  **  Without  doubt,"  replied  the  conductor.     "  Besides,  that 
time  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  reach  the  station  on  foot." 

"  But  it  is  only  a  mile  from  here,"  said  one  of  the  pas- 
sengers. 

"  A  mile,  in  fact,  but  on  the  other  side  of  the  river." 

"  And  cannot  the  river  be  crossed  in  a  boat?  "  asked  the 
colonel. 

"  Impossible.  The  creek  is  swollen  with  the  rains.  It 
is  a  torrent,  and  we  will  be  compelled  to  make  a  detour  of 
ten  miles  to  the  north  to  find  a  ford." 

The  colonel  launched  a  volley  of  oaths,  blaming  the  com- 
pany, and^  the  conductor.  Passepartout  furious,  was  not 
far  from  joining  with  him.  Here  was  a  material  obstacle 
against  which,  this  time,  all  his  master's  bank-notes  would 
be  of  no  avail. 

The  disappointment  was  general  among  the  passengers, 
who,  without  counting  the  delay,  saw  themselves  obliged  to 
foot  it  fifteen  miles  across  the  plain  covered  with  snow. 
There  was  a  hubbub,  exclamations,  loud  and  deep,  which 
would  certainly  have  attracted  Phileas  Fogg's  attention,  if 
that  gentleman  had  not  been  absorbed  in  his  game. 

But  Passepartout   found  himself  compelled  to  inform 


NO    ONE   LISTENS    TO    REASON  297 

him,  and  with  drooping  head,  he  turned  towards  the  car, 
when  the  engineer  of  the  train,  a  genuine  Yankee,  named 
Forster,  raising  his  voice,  said,  "  Gentlemen,  there  might  be 
a  way  of  passing." 

"On  the  bridge?"  asked  a  passenger. 

"  On  the  bridge." 

"With  our  train?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"  With  our  train." 

Passepartout  stopped,  and  devoured  the  engineer's  words. 

"  But  the  bridge  threatens  to  fall ! "  continued  the  con- 
ductor. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  replied  Forster.  "  I  believe  that  by- 
rushing  the  train  over  at  its  maximum  speed  we  would  have 
some  chances  of  passing." 

"  The  devil !  "  exclaimed  Passepartout. 

But  a  certain  number  of  the  passengers  were  immediately 
carried  away  by  the  proposition.  It  pleased  Colonel  Proc- 
tor particularly.  That  hot-head  found  the  thing  very 
feasible.  He  recalled,  even,  that  engineers  had  had  the 
idea  of  passing  rivers  without  bridges,  with  trains  closely 
coupled,  rushing  at  the  height  of  their  speed,  etc.  And, 
finally,  all  those  interested  took  sides  with  the  engineer's 
views. 

"  We  have  fifty  chances  for  passing,"  said  one. 

"  Sixty,"  said  another. 

"  Eighty !     Ninety  out  of  one  hundred !  " 

Passepartout  was  perplexed,  although  he  was  willing  to 
try  anything  to  accomplish  the  passage  of  Medicine  creek, 
but  the  attempt  seemed  to  him  a  little  too  "  American." 

"  Besides,"  he  thought,  "  there  is  a  much  simpler  thing  to 
do,  and  these  people  don't  even  think  of  it."  "  Monsieur," 
he  said  to  one  of  the  passengers,  "  the  way  proposed  by  the 
engineer  seems  a  little  hazardous  to  me,  but " 

"Eighty  chances!"  repHed  the  passenger,  turning  his 
back  to  him. 

"I  know  very  well,"  replied  Passepartout,  addressing 
another  gentleman,  "  but  a  simple  reflection " 

"No  reflection,  it  is  useless!"  replied  the  American  ad- 
dressed, shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  since  the  engineer  as- 
sures us  that  we  will  pass !  " 

"  Without  doubt,"  continued  Passepartout,  "  we  will 
pass,  but  it  would  perhaps  be  more  prudent " 


298      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

"  What  prudent ! "  cried  Colonel  Proctor,  jumping  at 
this  word,  heard  by  chance.  "  At  full  speed,  you  have  been 
told!     Don't  you  understand?     At  full  speed!" 

"  I  know — I  understand,"  repeated  Passepartout,  whom 
no  one  would  allow  to  finish  his  phrase ;  "  but  it  would  be, 
if  not  more  prudent,  since  the  word  offends  you,  at  least 
more  natural " 

"  Who?  What?  How?  What  is  the  matter  with  this 
fellow  ?  "  was  heard  from  all  directions. 

The  poor  fellow  did  not  know  whom  to  address. 

"Are  you  afraid?"  Colonel  Proctor  asked  him. 

"I,  afraid?"  cried  Passepartout.  "Well,  so  be  it!  I 
will  show  these  people  that  a  Frenchman  can  be  as  Ameri- 
can as  they ! " 

"  All  aboard !     All  aboard !  "  cried  the  conductor. 

"Yes,  all  aboard,"  repeated  Passepartout;  "all  aboard! 
and  right  away !  But  they  can't  prevent  me  from  thinking 
that  it  would  have  been  more  natural  for  us  to  have  gone 
over  the  bridge  afoot,  and  then  brought  the  train  after- 
wards ! " 

But  no  one  heard  this  sage  reflection,  and  no  one  would 
have  acknowledged  its  justness. 

The  passengers  took  their  seats  again  in  the  cars.  Passe- 
partout resumed  his,  without  saying  anything  of  what  had 
occurred.  The  players  were  entirely  absorbed  in  their 
game. 

The  locomotive  whistled  vigorously.  The  engineer  re- 
versed his  engine,  and  backed  for  about  a  mile — returned 
like  a  jumper  who  is  going  to  take  a  leap.  Then,  at  a  sec- 
ond whistle,  they  commenced  to  move  forwards,  the  speed 
increased;  it  soon  became  frightful;  but  a  single  puffing 
was  heard  from  the  locomotive;  the  pistons  worked  twenty 
strokes  to  the  second;  the  axles  smoked  in  the  journals. 
They  felt,  so  to  speak,  that  the  entire  train,  moving  at  the 
rate  of  one  hundred  miles  to  the  hour,  did  not  bear  upon 
the  rails.     The  speed  destroyed  the  weight. 

And  they  passed!  And  it  was  like  a  flash  of  lightning. 
They  saw  nothing  of  the  bridge.  The  train  leaped,  it  might 
be  said,  from  one  bank  to  the  other,  and  the  engineer  could 
not  stop  his  train  for  five  miles  beyond  the  station. 

But  the  train  had  scarcely  crossed  the  river  than  the 
bridge,  already  about  to  fall,  went  down  with  a  crash  into 
the  rapids  of  Medicine  Bow, 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

IN   WHICH   CERTAIN   INCIDENTS  ARE   RELATED,   ONLY   TO   BE 
MET  WITH  ON  THE  RAILROADS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

That  same  evening  the  train  continued  its  course  with- 
out obstructions,  passed  Fort  Sanders,  crossed  the  Cheyenne 
Pass  and  arrived  at  Evans  Pass.  At  this  point,  the  rail- 
road reached  the  highest  point  on  the  route,  i  e.,  eight 
thousand  and  ninety-one  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ocean. 
The  travelers  now  only  had  to  descend  to  the  Atlantic  over 
those  boundless  plains,  leveled  by  nature. 

There  was  the  branch  from  the  "  grand  trunk  "  to  Den- 
ver City,  the  principal  town  of  Colorado.  This  territory 
is  rich  in  gold  and  silver  mines,  and  more  than  fifty  thou- 
sand inhabitants  have  already  settled  there. 

At  this  moment  thirteen  hundred  and  eighty-two  miles 
had  been  made  from  San  Francisco  in  three  days  and  three 
nights.  Four  nights  and  four  days,  if  nothing  interfered, 
ought  to  be  sufficient  to  reach  New  York.  Phileas  Fogg 
was  then  still  within  his  time. 

During  the  night  they  passed  to  the  left  of  Camp  Wal- 
bach.  Lodge  Pole  Creek  ran  parallel  to  the  road,  follow- 
ing the  straight  boundary  between  the  Territories  of 
Wyoming  and  Colorado.  At  eleven  o'clock  they  entered 
Nebraska,  passing  near  Sedgwick,  and  they  touched  at 
Julesburg,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte  River. 

It  was  at  this  point  that  the  Union  Pacific  Road  was  in- 
augurated on  the  23d  of  October,  1867,  by  its  chief  en- 
gineer. General  G.  M.  Dodge.  There  stopped  the  two 
powerful  locomotives,  drawing  the  nine  cars  of  invited 
guests,  prominent  among  whom  was  the  Vice-President  of 
the  road,  Thomas  C.  Durant;  three  cheers  were  given;  there 
the  Sioux  and  Pawnees  gave  an  imitation  Indian  battle; 
there  the  fireworks  were  set  off;  there,  finally,  was  struck 
off  by  means  of  a  portable  printing  press  the  first  number 
of  the  Railway  Pioneer.  Thus  was  celebrated  the  inau- 
fguration  of  this  great  railroad,  an  instrument  of  progress 
and  civilization,  thrown  across  the  desert,  and  destined  to 
bind  together  towns  and  cities  not  yet  in  existence.  The 
whistle  of  the  locomotive,  more  powerful  than  the  lyre  of 
Amphion,  was  soon  to  make  them  rise  from  the  American 
soil. 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  Fort  McPherson  was  left 

299 


300     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

behind.  Three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles  separate  this 
point  from  Omaha.  The  railroad  followed,  on  its  left 
bank,  the  capricious  windings  of  the  South  Fork  of  Platte 
river.  At  nine  o'clock  they  arrived  at  the  important  town 
of  North  Platte,  built  between  the  two  arms  of  the  main 
stream,  which  join  each  other  around  it,  forming  a  single 
artery — a  large  tributary — whose  waters  mingle  with  those 
of  the  Missouri  a  little  above  Omaha. 

The  one  hundred  and  first  meridian  was  passed. 

Mr.  Fogg  and  his  partner  had  resumed  their  play. 
Neither  of  them  complained  of  the  length  of  the  route — 
not  even  the  dummy.  Mr.  Fix  had  won  a  few  guineas  at 
first,  which  he  w^as  in  a  fair  way  to  lose,  but  he  was  not  less 
deeply  interested  than  Mr.  Fogg.  During  this  morning 
chance  singularly  favored  this  gentleman.  Trumps  and 
honors  were  showered  into  his  hands.  At  a  certain  mo- 
ment, after  having  made  a  bold  combination,  he  was  about 
to  play  a  spade,  when  behind  the  seat  a  voice  was  heard, 
saying,  "  I  should  play  a  diamond." 

Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  Fix  raised  their  heads.  Colonel 
Proctor  was  near  them. 

Stamp  Proctor  and  Phileas  Fogg  recognized  each  other 
at  once. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,  Englishman,"  cried  the  colonel :  "  it's  you 
who  is  going  to  play  a  spade." 

"  And  who  plays  it,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg  coldly,  lay- 
ing down  a  ten  of  that  color. 

"  Well,  it  suits  me  to  have  it  diamonds,"  replied  Colonel 
Proctor,  in  an  irritated  voice. 

And  he  made  a  motion  as  if  to  pick  up  the  card  played, 
adding,  "  You  don't  understand  anything  of  this  game." 

"  Perhaps  I  will  be  more  skillful  at  another,"  said 
Phileas  Fogg,  rising. 

"  You  have  only  to  try  It,  son  of  John  Bull !  "  replied  the 
coarse  fellow. 

Aouda  became  pale.  All  the  blood  went  to  her  heart. 
She  seized  Phileas  Fogg's  arm,  and  he  gently  repulsed  her. 
Passepartout  was  ready  to  throw  himself  on,  looking  at 
his  adversary  with  the  most  insulting  air.  But  Fix  had 
risen,  and  going  to  Colonel  Proctor,  said  to  him,  "You 
■forget  that  you  have  me  to  deal  with ;  me  whom  you  have 
not  only  insulted,  but  struck !  " 


RAILROADS   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES      301 

"  Mr.  Fix,"  said  Mr.  Fogg,  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  it 
concerns  me  alone.  In  insisting  that  I  was  wrong  in  playing 
a  spade,  the  colonel  has  insulted  me  anew,  and  he  shall  give 
me  satisfaction." 

"  When  you  will,  and  where  you  will,"  replied  the  Ameri- 
can, "  and  with  whatever  weapon  you  please ! " 

Aouda  tried  in  vain  to  restrain  Mr.  Fogg.  The  detec- 
tive uselessly  endeavored  to  take  up  the  quarrel  on  his  own 
account.  Passepartout  wanted  to  throw  the  colonel  out 
of  the  door,  but  a  sign  from  his  master  stopped  him. 
Phileas  Fogg  went  out  of  the  car,  and  the  American  fol- 
lowed him  on  the  platform. 

"  Sir,"  said  Mr.  Fogg  to  his  adversary,  "  I  am  very  much 
in  a  hurry  to  return  to  Europe,  and  any  delay  whatever 
would  be  very  prejudicial  to  my  interests." 

"Well!  what  does  that  concern  mt?"  replied  Colonel 
Proctor. 

"  Sir,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  very  politely,  "  after  our  meet- 
ing in  San  Francisco,  I  formed  the  plan  to  come  back  to 
America  to  find  you,  as  soon  as  I  had  completed  the  busi- 
ness which  calls  me  to  the  Old  World." 

"Truly!" 

"  Will  you  appoint  a  meeting  with  me  in  six  months?" 
Why  not  in  six  years?  " 

I  say  six  months,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  "  and  I  will  be 
prompt  to  meet  you." 

"  All  evasions ! "  cried  Stamp  Proctor.  "  Immediately, 
or  not  at  all." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  "  You  are  going  to  New 
York?" 

"  No." 

"  To  Chicago  ?  "       • 

"  No." 

"To  Omaha?" 

"  It  concerns  you  very  little !  Do  you  know  Plum  Creek 
station?" 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  It  is  the  next  station.  The  train  will  be  there  in  an 
hour.  It  will  stop  ten  minutes.  In  ten  minutes  we  can 
exchange  a  few  shots  with  our  revolvers." 

"  Let  it  be  so,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  "  I  will  stop  at  Plum 
Creek." 


tc 


302      ROUND    THE   Vv^ORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

"  And  I  believe  that  you  will  remain  there ! "  added  the 
American  with  unparalleled  insolence. 

"Who  knows,  sir?"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  and  he  re-en- 
tered the  car  as  coolly  as  usual. 

That  gentleman  commenced  to  reassure  Aouda,  saying 
to  her  that  blusterers  were  never  to  be  feared.  Then  he 
begged  Fix  to  act  as  his  second  in  the  encounter  which  was 
going  to  take  place.  Fix  could  not  refuse,  and  Phileas 
Fogg  resumed  quietly  his  interrupted  game,  playing  a 
spade  with  perfect  serenity. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  whistle  of  the  locomotive  announced 
that  they  were  near  Plum  Creek  station.  Mr,  Fogg  rose, 
and  followed  by  Fix,  he  went  out  on  the  platform.  Passe- 
partout accompanied  him,  carrying  a  pair  of  revolvers. 
Aouda  remained  in  the  car,  as  pale  as  death. 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  the  next  car  opened,  and 
Colonel  Proctor  appeared  likewise  upon  the  platform,  fol- 
lowed by  his  second,  a  Yankee  of  his  own  stamp.  But  at 
the  moment  that  the  two  adversaries  were  going  to  step 
off  the  train,  the  conductor  ran  up  to  them  and  cried  : 

"  You  can't  get  off,  gentlemen." 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  the  Colonel. 

"  We  are  twenty  minutes  behind  time,  and  the  train  does 
not  stop." 

"  But  I  am  going  to  fight  a  duel  with  this  gentleman." 

"  I  regret  it,"  replied  the  conductor,  "  but  we  are  going 
to  start  again  immediately.     Hear  the  bell  ringing ! " 

The  bell  was  ringing,  and  the  train  moved  on. 

"  I  am  really  very  sorry,  gentlemen,"  said  the  conductor. 
"  Under  any  other  circumstances,  I  could  have  obliged  you. 
But,  after  all,  since  you  had  not  the  time  to  fight  here,  who 
hinders  you  from  fighting  while  the  train  is  in  motion.?  " 

"  Perhaps  that  will  not  suit  the  gentleman !  "  said  Colonel 
Proctor  with  a  jeering  air. 

"That  suits  me  perfectly,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

"  Well,  we  are  decidedly  in  America ! "  thought  Passe- 
partout, "  and  the  conductor  is  a  gentleman  of  the  first  or- 
der." 

Having  said  this,  he  followed  his  master. 

The  two  combatants  and  their  seconds,  preceded  by  tHe 
conductor,  repaired  to  the  rear  of  the  train,  passing  through 
the  cars.     The  last  car  was  only  occupied  by  about  ten  or 


RAILROADS    OF   THE   UNITED    STATES       303 

a  dozen  passengers.  The  conductor  asked  them  if  they 
would  be  kind  enough  to  vacate  for  a  few  moments  for  two 
gentlemen  who  had  an  affair  of  honor  to  settle. 

Why  not?  The  passengers  were  only  too  happy  to  be 
able  to  accommodate  the  two  gentlemen,  and  they  retired 
on  the  platforms.  The  car,  fifty  feet  long,  accommodated 
itself  very  conveniently  to  the  purpose.  The  two  adversar- 
ies might  march  on  each  other  in  the  aisle,  and  fire  at  their 
ease.  There  never  was  a  duel  easier  to  arrange.  Mr. 
Fogg  and  Colonel  Proctor,  each  furnished  with  two  six 
barreled  revolvers,  entered  the  car.  Their  seconds,  re- 
maining outside,  shut  them  in.  At  the  first  whistle  of  the 
locomotive,  they  were  to  commence  firing.  Then  after  a 
lapse  of  two  minutes  what  remained  of  the  two  gentlemen 
would  be  taken  out  of  the  car  Truly,  there  could  be  noth- 
ing simpler.  It  was  even  so  simple  that  Fix  and  Passe- 
partout felt  their  hearts  beating  almost  as  if  they  would 
break. 

They  were  waiting  for  the  whistle  agreed  upon,  when 
suddenly  savage  cries  resounded.  Reports  accompanied 
them,  but  they  did  not  come  from  the  car  reserved  for  the 
duelists.  These  reports  continued,  on  the  contrary,  as  far 
as  the  front,  and  along  the  whole  line  of  the  train.  Cries 
of  fright  made  themselves  heard  from  the  inside  of  the 
cars. 

Colonel  Proctor  and  Mr.  Fogg,  with  their  revolvers  in 
hand,  went  out  of  the  car  immediately,  and  rushed  for- 
ward where  the  reports  and  cries  resounded  more  noisily. 
They  understood  that  the  train  had  been  attacked  by  a  band 
of  Sioux. 

It  was  not  the  first  attempt  of  these  daring  Indians. 
More  than  once  already  they  had  stopped  the  trains.  Ac- 
cording to  their  habit,  without  waiting  for  the  stopping  of 
the  train,  rushing  upon  the  steps  to  the  number  of  a  hun- 
dred, they  had  scaled  the  cars  like  a  clown  does  a  horse  at 
full  gallop. 

These  Sioux  were  provided  with  guns.  Thence  the  re- 
ports, to  which  the  passengers,  nearly  all  armed,  replied 
sharply  by  shots  from  their  revolvers.  At  first  the  Indians 
rushed  upon  the  engine.  The  engineer  and  fireman  were 
half  stunned  with  blows  from  their  muskets.  A  Sioux 
chief,  wishing  to  stop  the  train,  but  not  knowing  how  to 


304      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

maneuver  the  handle  of  the  regulator,  had  opened  wide  the 
steam  valve  instead  of  closing  it,  and  the  locomotive,  be- 
yond control,  ran  on  with  frightful  rapidity. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Sioux  entered  the  cars,  they  ran 
like  enraged  monkeys  over  the  roofs,  they  drove  in  the 
doors  and  fought  hand  to  hand  with  the  passengers.  The 
trunks,  broken  open  and  robbed,  were  thrown  out  of  the 
baggage  car  on  the  road.     Cries  and  shots  did  not  cease. 

But  the  passengers  defended  themselves  courageously. 
Some  of  the  cars,  barricaded,  sustained  a  siege,  like  real 
moving  forts,  borne  on  at  a  speed  of  one  hundred  miles 
an  hour. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  attack  Aouda  had  be- 
haved courageously.  With  revolver  in  hand,  she  defended 
herself  heroically,  firing  through  the  broken  panes  when 
some  savage  presented  himself.  About  twenty  Sioux, 
mortally  wounded,  fell  upon  the  track,  and  the  car  wheels 
crushed  like  worms  those  that  slipped  onto  the  rails  from 
the  top  of  the  platforms.  Several  passengers,  severely 
wounded  by  bullets  or  clubs,  lay  upon  the  seats. 

But  an  end  must  be  put  to  this.  This  combat  had  lasted 
already  for  ten  minutes,  and  could  only  end  to  the  advantage 
of  the  Sioux,  if  the  train  was  not  stopped.  In  fact.  Fort 
Kearney  station  was  not  two  miles  distant.  There  was 
a  military  post,  but  that  passed,  between  Fort  Kearney  and 
the  next  station  the  Sioux  would  be  masters  of  the  train. 

The  conductor  was  fighting  at  Mr.  Fogg's  side,  when  a 
ball  struck  him  and  he  fell.  As  he  fell,  he  cried,  "  We  are 
lost  if  the  train  is  not  stopped  inside  of  five  minutes !  " 

"  It  shall  be  stopped ! "  said  Phileas  Fogg,  who  was  about 
to  rush  out  of  the  car. 

"  Remain,  monsieur,"  Passepartout  cried  to  him.  "  That 
is  my  business." 

Phileas  Fogg  had  not  the  time  to  stop  the  courageous 

young  man,  who,  opening  a  door  without  being  seen  by  the 

Indians,  succeeded  in  slipping  under  the  car.     Whilst  the 

struggle  continued,  and  whilst  the  balls  were  crossing  each 

other  above  his  head  recovering  his  agility,  his  suppleness 

as  a  clown  he  made  his  way  under  the  cars.     Clinging  to 

the  chains,  assisting  himself  by  the  lever  of  the  brakes  and 

the  edges  of  the  window  sashes,  climbing  from  one  car  to 

another  with  marvelous  skill,  he  thus  reached  the  front  of 
V.  VU  Verne 


RAILROADS   OF   THE  UNITED   STATES      305 

the  train.     He  had  not  been  seen ;  he  could  not  have  been. 

There,  suspended  by  one  hand  between  the  baggage  car 
and  the  tender,  with  the  other  he  loosened  the  couplings; 
but  in  consequence  of  the  traction,  he  would  never  have 
been  able  to  pull  out  the  yoking-bar  if  a  sudden  jolt  of  the 
engine  had  not  made  the  bar  jump  out,  and  the  train,  de- 
tached, was  left  farther  and  farther  behind,  while  the  loco- 
motive flew  on  with  new  speed. 

Carried  on  by  the  force  acquired,  the  train  still  rolled  on 
for  a  few  minutes,  but  the  brakes  were  maneuvered  from 
the  inside  of  the  cars,  and  the  train  finally  stopped  less  than 
one  hundred  paces  from  Kearney  Station. 

The  soldiers  of  the  fort,  attracted  by  the  firing,  ran 
hastily  to  the  train.  The  Sioux  did  not  wait  for  them,  and 
before  the  train  stopped  entirely  the  whole  band  had  de- 
camped. 

But  when  the  passengers  counted  each  other  on  the  plat- 
form of  the  station,  they  noticed  that  several  were  missing, 
and  among  others  the  courageous  Frenchman,  whose  de- 
votion had  just  saved  them. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

IN  WHICH  PHILEAS  FOGG  SIMPLY  DOES  HIS  DUTY 

Three  passengers,  including  Passepartout,  had  disap- 
peared. Had  they  been  killed  in  the  fight?  Were  they 
taken  prisoners  by  the  Sioux?     As  yet  it  could  not  be  told. 

The  wounded  were  quite  numerous,  but  none  mortally. 
The  one  most  seriously  hurt  was  Colonel  Proctor,  who  had 
fought  bravely,  and  who  fell  struck  by  a  ball  in  the  groin. 
He  was  carried  to  the  station  with  the  other  passengers, 
whose  condition  demanded  immediate  care. 

Aouda  was  safe.  Phileas  Fogg,  who  had  not  spared 
himself,  had  not  a  scratch.  Fix  was  wounded  in  the  arm — 
but  it  was  an  unimportant  wound.  But  poor  Passepartout 
was  missing,  and  tears  flowed  from  the  young  woman's 
eyes. 

Meanwhile,  all  the  passengers  had  left  the  train.  The 
wheels  of  the  cars  were  stained  with  blood.  To  the  hubs 
and  spokes  hung  ragged  pieces  of  flesh.  As  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  long  red  trails  were  seen  on  the  white  plain. 


3o6      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DXYS 

The  last  Indians  were  then  disappearing  in  the  south,  along 
the  banks  of  Republican  river. 

Mr,  Fogg,  with  folded  arms,  stood  motionless.  He  had 
a  serious  decision  to  make.  Aouda,  near  him,  looked  at 
him  without  uttering  a  word.  He  understood  her  look. 
If  his  servant  was  a  prisoner  ought  he  not  to  risk  everything 
to  rescue  him  from  the  Indians? 

**  I  will  find  him  dead  or  alive,"  he  said  simply  to  Aouda. 

"  AH !  Mr,  Fogg — Mr.  Fogg !  "  cried  the  young  woman, 
seizing  her  companion's  hands  and  covering  them  with 
tears. 

"Alive!"  added  Mr.  Fogg,  "if  we  do  not  lose  a  min- 
ute!" 

With  this  resolution  Phileas  Fogg  sacrificed  himself  en- 
tirely. He  had  just  pronounced  his  ruin.  A  single  day's 
delay  would  make  him  miss  the  steamer  from  New  York. 
His  bet  would  be  irrevocably  lost.  But  in  the  face  of  the 
thought,  "  It  is  my  duty  I  "  he  did  not  hestitate. 

The  captain  commanding  Fort  Kearney  was  there.  His 
soldiers — about  a  hundred  men — had  put  themselves  on  the 
defensive  in  the  event  of  the  Sioux  making  a  direct  attack 
upon  the  station. 

"  Sir,"  said  Mr.  Fogg  to  the  captain,  "  three  passengers 
have  disappeared." 

"  Killed  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Killed  or  prisoners,"  replied  Mr,  Fogg.  "  That  is  an 
uncertainty  which  we  must  bring  to  an  end.  It  is  your 
intention  to  pursue  the  Sioux?" 

"  It  is  a  grave  matter,  sir,"  said  the  captain.  "  These 
Indians  may  fly  beyond  the  Arkansas!  I  could  not  aban- 
don the  fort  entrusted  to  me." 

"  Sir,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  "  it  is  a  question  of  the  life 
af  three  men." 

"  Doubtless — but  can  I  risk  the  life  of  fifty  to  save 
three?" 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  you  can,  but  you  ought." 

"  Sir,"  replied  the  captain,  "  no  one  here  has  the  right 
to  tell  me  what  my  duty  is." 

"Let  it  be  so!"  said  Phileas  Fogg  coldly,  "I  will  go 
alone !  " 

"You,  sir!"  cried  Fix,  who  approached,  "go  alone  in 
pursuit  of  the  Indians !  " 


FOGG   DOES   HIS   DUTY  307 

"  Do  you  wish  me  then  to  allow  to  perish  the  unfortunate 
man  to  whom  everyone  of  us  that  is  living  owes  his  life? 
I  shall  go." 

"  Well,  no,  you  shall  not  go  alone ! "  cried  the  captain, 
moved  in  spite  of  himself.  "  No!  You  are  a  brave  heart! 
Thirty  volunteers ! "  he  added,  turning  to  his  soldiers. 

The  whole  company  advanced  in  a  body.  The  captain 
had  to  select  from  these  brave  fellows.  Thirty  soldiers 
were  picked  out,  and  an  old  sergeant  put  at  their  head. 

"  Thanks,  captain  1 "  said  Mr.  Fogg. 

"You  will  permit  me  to  accompany  you.''"  Fix  asked 
the  gentleman. 

"  You  will  do  as  you  please,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 
"  But  if  you  wish  to  do  me  a  service,  you  will  remain  by 
Aouda.     In  case  anything  should  happen  to  me " 

A  sudden  paleness  overcast  the  detective's  face.  To 
separate  himself  from  the  man  whom  he  had  followed  step 
by  step  and  with  so  much  persistence !  To  let  him  venture 
so  much  in  the  desert.  Fix  looked  closely  at  the  gentleman, 
and  whatver  he  may  have  thought,  in  spite  of  his  prejudices, 
in  spite  of  his  inward  struggle,  he  dropped  his  eyes  before 
that  quiet,  frank  look. 

"  I  will  remain,"  he  said. 

"A.  few  moments  after,  Mr.  Fogg  pressed  the  young 
woman's  hand ;  then,  having  placed  in  her  care  his  precious 
traveling  bag,  he  set  out  with  the  sergeant  and  his  little 
band. 

But  before  starting,  he  said  to  the  soldiers,  "  My  friends, 
there  are  five  thousand  dolars  for  you  if  you  save  the 
prisoners ! " 

It  was  then  a  few  minutes  past  noon. 

Aouda  retired  into  a  sitting  room  of  the  station,  and 
there,  alone,  she  waited,  thinking  of  Phileas  Fogg,  his 
simple  and  grand  generosity,  his  quiet  courage.  Mr.  Fogg 
had  sacrificed  his  fortune,  and  now  he  was  staking  his  life — 
and  all  this  without  hesitation  from  a  sense  of  duty,  with- 
out words.     Phileas  Fogg  was  a  hero  in  her  eyes. 

The  detective  was  not  thinking  thus,  and  he  could  not 
restrain  his  agitation.  He  walked  feverishly  up  and  down 
the  platform  of  the  station,  one  moment  vanquished,  he 
became  himself  again.  Fogg  having  gone,  he  compre- 
hended his  foolishness  in  letting  him  go.     What !     Had  he 


3o8     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

consented  to  be  separated  from  the  man  that  he  had  just 
been  following  around  the  world !  His  natural  disposition 
got  the  upper  hand;  he  criminated  and  accused  himself;  he 
treated  himself  as  if  he  had  been  the  director  of  the 
Metropolitan  Police  reproving  an  agent  caught  at  a  very 
green  trick. 

"  I  have  been  a  silly  fellow !  "  he  thought.  "  The  other 
fellow  will  have  told  him  who  I  was!  He  has  gone;  he 
will  not  return!  Where  can  I  capture  him  now?  But 
how  have  I  so  allowed  myself  to  be  fascinated  when  I  have 
a  warrant  for  his  arrest  in  my  pocket !  I  am  decidedly  only 
an  ass ! " 

Thus  reasoned  the  detective,  while  the  hours  slipped  on 
too  slowly  for  his  liking.  He  did  not  know  what  to  do. 
Sometimes,  he  felt  like  telling  Aouda  everything.  But  he 
understood  how  he  would  be  received  by  the  young  woman. 
What  course  should  he  take?  He  was  tempted  to  go  in 
pursuit  of  this  Fogg  across  the  immense  white  plains.  It 
did  not  seem  impossible  for  him  to  find  him.  The  foot- 
prints of  the  detachment  were  still  imprinted  upon  the  snow! 
But  under  a  fresh  covering  every  track  would  soon  be 
effaced. 

Fix  was  discouraged.  He  felt  an  almost  insurmountable 
desire  to  abandon  the  party.  This  very  occasion  of  leaving 
Kearney  station  and  of  prosecuting  the  journey,  so  fruitful 
in  mishaps,  was  opened  to  him. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  while  the  snow  was 
falling  in  large  flakes,  long  whistles  were  heard  coming 
from  the  east.  An  enormous  shadow,  preceded  by  a  lurid 
light,  slowly  advanced,  considerably  increased  by  the  mist, 
which  gave  it  a  fantastic  appearance. 

But  no  train  was  expected  yet  from  the  east  The  help 
asked  for  by  telegraph  could  not  arrive  so  soon  and  the 
train  from  Omaha  to  San  Francisco  would  not  pass  until 
the  next  day.     They  were  soon  enlightened. 

This  locomotive,  moving  under  a  small  head  of  steam, 
and  whistling  very  loud,  was  the  one  which,  after  being  de- 
tached from  the  train,  had  continued  its  course  with  such 
frightful  speed,  carrying  the  unconscious  fireman  and  en- 
gineer. It  had  run  on  for  several  miles;  then  the  fire  had 
gone  down  for  want  of  fuel;  the  steam  had  slackened,  and 
an  hour  afterwards,  relaxing  its  speed  by  degrees,  the  en- 


FOGG  DOES  HIS  DUTY       309 

gine  finally  stopped  twenty  miles  beyond  Kearney  station. 

Neither  the  engineer  nor  the  fireman  was  dead,  and  after 
a  very  long  swoon  they  revived.  The  engine  had  stopped. 
When  he  saw  himself  in  the  desert,  and  the  locomotive 
without  cars  attached  to  it,  the  engineer  understood  what 
had  happened.  He  could  not  guess  how  the  locomotive 
had  been  detached  from  the  train,  but  he  did  not  doubt 
that  the  train,  left  behind,  was  in  distress. 

The  engineer  did  not  hesitate  as  to  what  he  ought  to 
do.  To  continue  his  course  in  the  direction  of  Omaha  was 
prudent,  to  return  towards  the  train,  which  the  Indians  were 
perhaps  yet  robbing,  was  dangerous.  No  matter!  Coal 
and  wood  were  thrown  into  the  furnace,  the  fire  started  up 
again,  the  head  of  steam  increased  again,  and  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  engine  returned,  running  back- 
wards to  Kearney  station.  This  was  the  whistling  they 
heard  in  the  mist. 

It  was  a  great  satisfaction  for  the  travelers,  when  they 
saw  the  locomotive  put  at  the  head  of  the  train.  They  were 
going  to  be  able  to  continue  their  journey  so  unfortunately 
interrupted. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  engine,  !A^ouda  came  out  of  the 
station,  and  addressing  the  conductor  she  asked: 

"You  are  going  to  start?" 
This  very  instant,  madame." 

But  the  prisoners — our  unfortunate  companions " 

I   cannot   interrupt  the   trip,"    replied   the   conductor. 
We  are  already  three  hours  behind  time." 

And  when  will  the  next  train  coming  from  San  Fran- 
cisco pass?  " 

"  To-morrow  evening,  madame." 

"  To-morrow  evning !  But  it  will  be  too  late.  We  must 
wait " 

"  Impossible,"  replied  the  conductor.  "If  you  are  going, 
gtt  aboard  the  car." 

"  I  will  not  go,"  replied  the  young  woman. 

Fix  heard  this  conversation.  A  few  moments  before, 
when  every  means  of  locomotion  failed  him,  he  had  de- 
cided to  quit  Kearney,  and  now  that  the  train  was  there 
ready  to  continue  its  course,  and  he  only  had  to  seat  himself 
again  in  the  car,  an  irresistible  force  fixed  him  to  the  ground. 
The  platform  of  the  station  burned  his  feet,  and  he  could 


« 
it 


3IO     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

not  tear  himself  away  from  it.  The  conflict  within  himself 
recommenced.  His  anger  at  his  want  of  success  choked 
him.     He  was  going  to  struggle  on  to  the  end. 

Meanwhile  the  passengers  and  some  of  the  wounded — 
among  others  Colonel  Proctor,  whose  condition  was  very 
serious — had  taken  seats  in  the  cars.  The  buzzing  of  the 
overheated  boiler  was  heard ;  the  steam  escaped  through  the 
valves;  the  engine  whistled,  the  train  started,  and  soon 
disappeared,  mingling  its  white  smoke  with  the  whirling  of 
the  snow. 

The  detective  Fix  had  remained. 

Some  hours  passed.  The  weather  was  very  bad,  the  cold 
very  keen.  Fix,  seated  on  a  bench  in  the  station,  was  mo- 
tionless. It  might  have  been  supposed  that  he  was  sleeping. 
Notwithstanding  the  storm,  Aouda  left  every  moment 
the  room  which  had  been  placed  at  her  disposal. 
She  went  to  the  end  of  the  platform,  trying  to 
look  through  the  tempest  of  snow,  wishing  to  pierce  the 
mist  which  narrowed  the  horizon  around  her,  listening  if 
she  could  hear  any  sound.  But  there  was  nothing.  She 
went  in  then,  chilled  through,  to  return  a  few  moments 
later,  and  always  in  vain. 

Evening  came.  The  little  detachment  had  not  returned. 
Where  was  it  at  this  moment?  Had  it  been  able  to  over- 
take the  Indians?  Had  there  been  a  fight,  or  were  these 
soldiers,  lost  in  the  mist,  wandering  at  a  venture?  The 
captain  of  Fort  Kearney  was  very  uneasy,  although  he  did 
not  wish  to  let  his  uneasiness  appear. 

Night  came;  the  snow  fell  less  heavily,  but  the  intensity 
of  the  cold  increased.  The  most  intrepid  glance  would  not 
have  looked  at  this  vast,  obscure  space  without  terror.  An 
absolute  silence  prevailed  over  the  plain.  Neither  the  flight 
of  a  bird  nor  the  passage  of  a  wild  beast  disturbed  the  un- 
broken quiet. 

During  the  whole  night  Aouda,  her  mind  full  of  dark 
presentiments,  her  heart  filled  with  anguish,  wandered  on 
the  border  of  the  prairie.  Her  imagination  carried  her 
afar  off  and  showed  her  a  thousand  dangers.  What  she 
suffered  during  those  long  hours  could  not  be  expressed. 
Fix,  still  immovable  in  the  same  spot,  did  not  sleep.  Once 
a  man  approached  and  spoke  to  him,  but  the  detective  sent 
him  away,  after  replying  to  him  by  a  negative  sign. 


FOGG   DOES    HIS    DUTY  311 

Thus  the  night  passed.  At  dawn,  the  half-concealed 
Idisk  of  the  sun  rose  from  a  misty  horizon.  Still  the  eye 
might  reach  as  far  as  two  miles.  Phileas  Fogg  and  the 
detachment  had  gone  to  the  south.  The  south  was  entirely 
deserted.     It  was  then  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  captain,  extremely  anxious,  did  not  know  what 
course  to  take.  Ought  he  to  send  a  second  detachment  to 
help  the  first  .^  Ought  he  to  sacrifice  fresh  men  with  so 
few  chances  of  saving  those  who  were  sacrificed  at  first? 
But  his  hesitation  did  not  last,  and  with  a  gesture  calling  one 
of  his  lieutenants,  he  gave  him  the  order  to  throw  out  a 
reconnoissance  to  the  south,  when  shots  were  heard.  Was 
it  a  signal?  The  soldiers  rushed  out  of  the  fort,  and  half 
a  mile  distant  they  perceived  a  small  band  returning  in  good 
order. 

Phileas  Fogg  marched  at  the  head,  and  near  him  Passe- 
partout and  the  two  passengers,  rescued  from  the  hands  of 
the  Sioux. 

There  was  a  fight  ten  miles  south  of  Fort  Kearney.  Passe- 
(partout  and  his  two  companions  were  already  struggling 
against  their  captors,  and  the  Frenchman  had  knocked  down 
three  of  them  with  his  fist,  when  his  master  and  the  soldiers 
rushed  to  their  rescue. 

All — the  deliverers  and  the  delivered — were  received 
with  cries  of  joy,  and  Phileas  Fogg  divided  among  the 
soldiers  the  reward  he  had  promised  them,  whilst  Passe- 
partout repeated  to  himself,  not  without  reason,  "  I  must 
confess  that  I  am  certainly  costing  my  master  very  dearly." 

Fix,  without  uttering  a  word,  looked  at  Mr.  Fogg,  and 
it  would  have  been  difficult  to  analyze  the  impressions  strug- 
gling within  him.  As  for  Aouda,  she  took  the  gentleman's 
hand,  and  pressed  it  in  hers,  without  being  able  to  utter  a 
word ! 

In  the  meantime  Passepartout,  upon  his  arrival,  was 
looking  for  the  train  at  the  station.  He  thought  he  would 
find  it  there,  ready  to  start  for  Omaha,  and  he  hoped  they 
could  still  make  up  the  lost  time.  "  The  train,  the  train !  " 
he  cried. 

"  Gone,"  replied  Fix. 

"  And  when  will  the  next  train  pass  ? "  asked  Fogg. 

"  Not  until  this  evening." 

"  Ah !  "  simply  replied  the  impassible  gentleman. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

IN  WHICH  THE  DETECTIVE  FIX  TAKES  SERIOUSLY  IN  CHARGE 

PHiLEAs  Fogg's  interests 

Phileas  Fogg  found  himself  twenty  hours  behind  time. 
Passepartout,  the  involuntary  cause  of  this  delay,  was  des- 
perate.    He  had  certainly  ruined  his  master ! 

At  this  moment  the  detective  approached  Mr.  Fogg,  and 
looking  closely  in  his  face,  asked :  "  Very  seriously,  sir,  you 
are  in  a  hurry?  " 

"  Very  seriously,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

"  I  insist,"  continued  Fix.  "  It  is  very  much  to  your  in- 
terest to  be  in  New  York  on  the  nth,  before  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  the  time  of  departure  of  the  Liverpool 
steamer." 

"  I  have  a  very  great  interest." 

"  And  if  your  journey  had  not  been  interrupted  by  this 
Indian  attack,  you  would  have  arrived  in  New  York  on 
the  morning  of  the  nth?  " 

"  Yes,  twelve  hours  before  the  departure  of  the  steamer." 

"  Well,  you  are  now  twenty  hours  behind  time.  The 
■difference  between  twenty  and  twelve  is  eight.  Eight 
hours  are  to  be  made  up.     Do  you  wish  to  try  to  do  it?  " 

"  On  foot?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  No,  on  a  sledge,"  replied  Fix,  "  on  a  sledge  with  sails. 
A  man  has  proposed  this  means  of  conveyance  to  me." 
It  was  the  man  who  had  spoken  to  the  detective  during  the 
night,  and  whose  offer  he  had  refused. 

Phileas  Fogg  did  not  reply  to  Fix;  but  Fix  having  shown 
him  the  man  in  question,  who  was  walking  up  and  down 
before  the  station,  the  gentleman  went  up  to  him.  An 
instant  after,  Phileas  Fogg  and  this  American,  named 
Mudge,  entered  a  hut  built  at  the  foot  of  Fort  Kearney. 

There  Mr.  Fogg  examined  a  very  singular  vehicle,  a 
sort  of  frame  laid  on  two  long  beams,  a  little  raised  in  front, 
like  the  runners  of  a  sledge,  and  upon  which  five  or  six 
persons  could  be  seated.  On  the  front  of  the  frame  was 
fastened  a  very  high  mast,  to  which  an  immense  brigantine 
sail  was  attached.  The  mast,  firmly  held  by  metallic  fast- 
enings, held  an  iron  stay,  which  served  to  hoist  a  large 
jib-sail.  At  the  rear  a  sort  of  rudder  allowed  the  apparatus 
to  be  steered. 

As  could  be  seen,  it  was  a  sledge  sloop-rigged.     During 

312 


DETECTIVE    FIX  313 

the  winter,  on  the  icy  plains,  when  the  trains  are  blocked 
up  by  the  snow,  these  vehicles  make  extremely  rapid  trips 
from  one  station  to  another.  They  carry  a  tremendous 
press  of  sail,  far  more  than  a  cutter,  and,  with  the  wind 
behind,  they  glide  over  the  surface  of  the  prairie  with  a 
speed  equal  to,  if  not  greater  than,  that  of  an  express 
train. 

In  a  few  moments,  the  bargain  was  concluded  between 
Mr.  Fogg  and  the  owner  of  this  land  craft.  The  wind 
was  good.  It  blew  with  a  strong  breeze  from  the  west. 
The  snow  had  hardened,  and  Mudge  was  certain  that  he 
could  take  Mr.  Fogg  in  a  few  hours  to  Omaha.  There  the 
trains  are  frequent,  and  the  routes  leading  to  Chicago  and 
New  York  are  numerous.  It  was  not  impossible  to  make 
up  the  time  lost.  There  should  be  no  hesitation  in  making 
the  attempt. 

Mr.  Fogg,  not  wishing  to  expose  Aouda  to  the  dis- 
comforts of  a  trip  in  the  open  air,  with  the  cold  rendered 
more  unbearable  by  the  speed,  proposed  to  her  to  remain 
under  Passepartout's  care  at  Kearney  station.  The  honest 
fellow  would  undertake  to  bring  her  to  Europe  by  a  better 
route  and  under  more  acceptable  conditions. 

Aouda  refused  to  be  separated  from  Mr.  Fogg,  and 
Passepartout  felt  very  happy  at  this  determination.  In- 
deed, nothing  in  the  world  would  have  induced  him  to  leave 
his  master,  since  Fix  was  to  accompany  him. 

As  to  what  the  detective  then  thought,  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  say.  Had  his  convictions  been  shaken  by  Phileas 
Fogg's  return,  or  rather  did  he  consider  him  a  very  shrewd 
rogue,  who,  having  accomplished  his  tour  of  the  world, 
believed  that  he  would  be  entirely  safe  in  England?  Per- 
haps Fix's  opinion  concerning  Phileas  Fogg  was  really 
modified.  But  he  was  none  the  less  decided  to  do  his  duty, 
and  more  impatient  than  all  of  them  to  hasten  with  all  his 
might  the  return  to  England. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  sledge  was  ready  to  start.  The 
travelers — we  were  tempted  to  say  the  passengers — took 
their  places,  and  wrapped  themselves  closely  in  their  travel- 
ing cloaks.  The  two  immense  sails  were  hoisted,  and, 
under  the  pressure  of  the  wind,  the  vehicle  slipped  over  the 
hardened  snow  with  a  speed  of  forty  miles  an  hour. 

The  distance  between  Fort  Kearney  and  Omaha  is,  in  a 


314      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

straig-ht  line — in  a  bee-line,  as  the  Americans  say — two  hun- 
dred miles  at  the  most.  If  the  wind  continued,  this  distance 
could  be  accomplished  in  five  hours.  If  no  accident  hap- 
pened, the  sledge  ought  to  reach  Omaha  at  one  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon. 

What  a  journey!  The  travelers,  huddled  up  against 
each  other,  could  not  speak.  The  cold,  increased  by  the 
speed,  cut  off  their  words.  The  sledge  glided  as  lightly 
over  the  surface  of  the  plain  as  a  vessel  over  the  surface 
of  the  water — with  the  swell  at  least.  When  the  breeze 
came,  skimming  the  earth,  it  seemed  as  if  the  sledge  was 
lifted  from  the  ground  by  its  sails,  which  were  like  huge 
wings.  Mudge,  at  the  rudder,  kept  the  straight  line,  and 
with  a  turn  of  the  tiller  he  corrected  the  lurches  which  the 
apparatus  had  a  tendency  to  make.  All  sail  was  carried. 
The  jib  had  been  arranged  so  that  it  no  longer  was  screened 
by  the  brigantine^  A  top-mast  was  hoisted,  and  another 
jib  stretched  to  the  wind  added  its  force  to  that  of  the  other 
sails.  It  could  not  be  exactly  estimated,  but  certainly  the 
speed  of  the  sledge  could  not  be  less  than  forty  miles  an 
hour, 

"If  nothing  breaks,"  said  Mudge,  "we  shall  arrive!" 

It  was  Mudge's  interest  to  arrive  at  the  time  agreed  upon, 
for  Mr.  Fogg  adhering  to  his  plan,  had  stimulated  him  by 
the  promise  of  a  handsome  reward. 

The  prairie,  which  the  sledge  was  crossing  in  a  straight 
line,  was  as  flat  as  a  sea.  It  might  have  been  called  a  frozen 
pond.  The  railroad  which  ran  through  this  section,  as- 
cended from  southwest  to  northwest  by  Grand  Island,  Co- 
lumbus, an  important  Nebraska  town,  Schuyler,  Fremont, 
then  Omaha.  During  its  entire  course,  it  followed  the 
right  bank  of  Platte  river.  The  sledge,  shortening  this 
route,  took  the  cord  of  the  arc  described  by  the  railroad. 
Mudge  did  not  fear  being  stopped  by  the  Platte  river,  at 
the  short  bend  in  front  of  Fremont,  as  it  was  frozen  over. 
The  way  was  then  entirely  free  of  obstructions,  and  Phileas 
Fogg  had  only  two  things  to  fear:  an  accident  to  the  ap- 
paratus, a  change  or  a  calm  of  the  wind. 

But  the  breeze  did  not  abate.  On  the  contrary,  it  blew 
so  hard  that  it  bent  the  mast,  which  the  iron  fastenings  kept 
firm.  These  metal  fastenings,  like  the  chords  of  an  in- 
strument, resounded  as  if  a  violin  bow  had  produced  their 


DETECTIVE    FIX  315 

vibrations.  The  sledge  slid  along  in  the  midst  of  a  plain- 
tive harmony,  of  a  very  perculiar  intensity. 

"  These  cords  give  the  fifth  and  the  octave,"  said  Mr. 
Fogg. 

And  these  v^ere  the  only  words  he  uttered  during  this 
trip.  Aouda,  carefully  wrapped  in  furs  and  cloaks,  was 
preserved  as  much  as  possible  from  the  attacks  of  the  cold. 

Passepartout,  his  face  red  as  the  solar  disk  when  it  sets 
in  the  mist,  drew  in  the  biting  air.  With  the  depth  of  un- 
shaken confidence  that  he  possessed,  he  was  ready  to  hope 
again.  Instead  of  arriving  in  New  York  in  the  morning, 
they  would  arrive  there  in  the  evening,  but  there  might  be 
some  chances  that  it  would  be  before  the  departure  of  the 
Liverpool  steamer. 

Passepartout  even  experienced  a  strong  desire  to  grasp 
the  hand  of  his  ally  Fix.  He  did  not  forget  that  it  was 
the  detective  himself  who  had  procured  the  sledge  with 
sails,  and  consequently  the  only  means  there  was  to  reach 
Omaha  in  good  time.  But  by  some  unknown  presenti- 
ment, he  kept  himself  in  his  accustomed  reserve. 

At  all  events,  one  thing  which  Passepartout  would  never 
forget  was  the  sacrifice  which  Mr.  Fogg  had  unhesitatingly 
made  to  rescue  him  from  the  hands  of  the  Sioux.     As  for 

that,  Mr.   Fogg  had  risked  his  fortune  and  his  life > 

No!  his  servant  would  not  forget  him! 

Whilst  each  one  of  the  travelers  allowed  himself  to 
wander  off  in  such  various  reflections  the  sledge  flew  over 
the  immense  carpet  of  snow.  If  it  passed  over  creeks, 
tributaries,  or  sub-tributaries  of  Little  Blue  river,  they  did 
not  perceive  it.  The  fields  and  the  streams  disappeared 
under  a  uniform  w^hiteness. 

The  plain  was  absolutely  deserted.  Comprised  between 
the  Union  Pacific  Road  and  the  branch  uniting  Kearney 
to  St.  Joseph,  it  formed  as  it  were  a  large  uninhabited  is- 
land. Not  a  village,  not  a  station,  not  even  a  fort.  From 
time  to  time  they  saw  passing  like  a  flash  some  grimacing 
tree,  whose  white  skeleton  was  twisted  about  by  the  wind. 
Sometimes  flocks  of  wild  birds  rose:  sometimes,  also, 
prairie  wolves  in  large  bands,  gaunt,  famished,  urged  on 
by  a  ferocious  demand  of  nature,  vied  with  the  sledge 
in  swiftness.  Then  Passepartout,  with  revolver  in  hand, 
held  himself  ready  to  fire  upon  those  that  came  nearest. 


3i6      ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

If  any  accident  had  then  stopped  the  sledge,  the  travelers, 
attacked  by  these  ferocious  carnivorous  beasts,  would  have 
run  the  greatest  risks.  But  the  sledge  kept  on  in  its  course, 
it  was  not  long  in  getting  ahead,  and  soon  the  whole  howl- 
ing band  was  left  behind. 

At  noon,  Mudge  recognized  by  certain  landmarks  that 
he  was  crossing  the  frozen  course  of  the  Platte  river.  He 
said  nothing,  but  he  was  sure  that  in  twenty  miles  more 
he  would  reach  Omaha. 

And,  indeed,  one  hour  afterwards  this  skillful  guide, 
abandoning  the  helm,  hastened  to  the  halyards  of  the  sails 
and  furled  them,  whilst  the  sledge,  carried  on  by  its  irre- 
sistible force,  accomplished  another  half  mile  under  bare 
poles.  Finally  it  stopped,  and  Mudge  pointing  out  a  mass 
of  roofs  white  with  snow,  said :  "  We  have  arrived.'" 

Arrived!  Arrived  indeed  at  the  station  which,  by  nu- 
merous trains  is  in  daily  communication  with  the  eastern 
part  of  the  United  States!  Passepartout  and  Fix  jumped 
to  the  ground  and  shook  their  stiffened  limbs.  They 
helped  Mr.  Fogg  and  the  young  woman  to  descend  from  the 
sledge.  Phileas  Fogg  settled  generously  with  Mudge, 
whose  hand  Passepartout  shook  like  a  friend's,  and  all 
hurried  towards  the  depot  in  Omaha. 

The  Pacific  Railroad,  properly  so  called,  has  its  terminus 
at  this  important  city  in  Nebraska,  placing  the  Mississippi 
basin  in  connection  with  the  great  ocean.  To  go  from 
Omaha  to  Chicago,  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific 
Road  is  taken,  running  directly  to  the  east,  and  passing 
fifty  stations. 

A  through  train  was  ready  to  start.  Phileas  Fogg  and 
his  companions  only  had  time  to  hurry  into  a  car.  They 
had  seen  nothing  of  Omaha;  but  Passepartout  acknowl- 
edged to  himself  that  it  was  not  to  be  regretted,  as  they 
were  not  on  a  sight-seeing  tour.  The  train  passed  with 
very  great  speed  into  the  state  of  Iowa,  through  Council 
Bluffs,  Des  Moines,  and  Iowa  City.  During  the  night 
it  crossed  the  Mississippi  at  Davenport,  and  entered  Illinois 
at  Rock  Island.  The  next  day,  the  loth,  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  they  arrived  at  Chicago,  already  risen 
from  its  ruins,  and  sitting  more  proudly  than  ever  on  the 
shores  of  the  beautiful  Lake  Michigan. 

Nine  hundred  miles  separate  Chicago  from  New  York. 


DETECTIVE    FIX  317 

Trains  are  not  wanting  at  Chicago.  Mr.  Fogg  passed  im- 
mediately from  one  to  the  other.  The  nimble  locomotive 
of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort  Wayne,  and  Chicago  Railway 
started  at  full  speed,  as  if  it  understood  that  the  honorable 
gentleman  "  had  no  time  to  lose."  It  traversed  Indiana 
and  Ohio,  passing  by  populous  cities  and  over  wide  ex- 
panses of  agricultural  land,  with  but  few  pauses;  and,  six- 
teen hours  after  leaving  Chicago,  the  Ohio  was  reached. 

At  thirty-five  minutes  after  nine,  on  the  evening  of  the 
nth,  the  train  entered  the  great  depot  at  Jersey  City,  the 
walls  of  which  are  washed  by  the  Hudson  river.  From 
tHis  station,  the  eastern  terminus  of  a  railroad  system  of 
great  magnitude,  fifty-one  passenger  and  eighty-one 
freight  trains  depart  every  twenty- four  hours,  and  an  equal 
number  arrive.  Steamers  and  sailing  vessels  lined  the  miles 
of  docks  extending  on  both  sides  of  the  station,  and  the 
mighty  river  was  filled  with  craft  of  all  kinds  engaged  in 
the  commerce  of  New  York,  which  rose  in  front  of  the 
travelers  as  they  emerged  upon  the  broad,  covered  way 
running  in  front  of  the  depot,  where  the  gigantic  ferry- 
boats of  the  railroad  company  receive  and  land  their  myri- 
ads of  travelers,  pausing  not  in  their  work  day  or  night. 

At  thirty-five  minutes  after  nine  at  night,  the  train 
stopped  in  the  depot,  near  the  very  pier  of  the  Cunard  line 
of  steamers,  otherwise  called  The  British  and  North  Amer- 
ican Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Company. 

The  China,  bound  for  Liverpool,  had  left  thirty-five  min- 
utes before! 

CHAPTER   XXXII 

IN  WHICH   PHILEAS  FOGG  ENGAGES  IN  A  DIRECT  STRUGGLE 

WITH    ILL   LUCK 

The  China,  in  leaving,  seemed  to  have  carried  away  with' 
her  Phileas  Fogg's  last  hope.  In  fact,  none  of  the  other 
steamers  in  the  direct  service  between  America  and  Europe, 
neither  the  French  Transatlantic  steamers,  nor  the  ships  of 
the  White  Star  line,  nor  those  of  the  Inman  Company,  nor 
those  of  the  Hamburg  line,  nor  any  others,  could  serve  the 
gentleman's  projects. 

The  Pereire,  of  the  French  Atlantic  Company,  would  not 
start  until  the  14th  of  December.     And  besides,  like  those 


3i8      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

of  the  Hamburg  Company,  she  would  not  go  directly  to 
Liverpool  or  London,  but  to  Havre,  and  this  additional 
trip  from  Havre  to  Southampton,  delaying  Phileas  Fogg, 
would  have  rendered  his  last  efforts  of  no  avail. 

The  gentleman  posted  himself  thoroughly  about  all  this 
by  consulting  his  Bradshaw,  which  gave  him,  day  by  day, 
the  movements  of  the  transoceanic  vessels. 

Passepartout  was  annihilated.  It  killed  him  to  miss  the 
steamer  by  thirty-five  minutes.  It  was  his  fault,  he  who, 
instead  of  aiding  his  master,  had  not  ceased  to  scatter  ob- 
stacles in  his  way!  And  when  he  reviewed  in  his  mind 
all  the  incidents  of  the  journey;  when  he  calculated  the  sums 
spent,  which  was  pure  loss,  and  for  his  own  inter- 
est; when  he  thought  that  this  enormous  bet,  added  to 
the  heavy  expenses  of  this  now  useless  journey,  would  com- 
pletely ruin  Mr.  Fogg,  he  overwhelmed  himself  with  op- 
probrium. 

Mr.  Fogg  did  not  reproach  him  at  all,  and  leaving  the 
pier  of  the  ocean  steamers,  he  said  only  these  words :  "  We 
will  consult  to-morrow.     Come." 

Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  Fix,  and  Passepartout  crossed  the 
Hudson  from  Jersey  City  in  the  ferry  boat,  and  got  into 
a  carriage,  which  took  them  to  the  St.  Nicholas  hotel,  on] 
Broadway.  Rooms  were  put  at  their  disposal,  and  the 
night  passed, — a  very  short  one  for  Phileas  Fogg,  who 
slept  soundly,  but  very  long  for  Aouda  and  her  compan- 
ions, whose  agitation  did  not  allow  them  to  rest. 

The  next  day  was  the  12th  of  December.  From  the 
1 2th,  at  seven  in  the  morning,  to  the  21st,  at  eight  forty- 
five  in  the  evening,  there  remained  nine  days,  thirteen  hours, 
and  forty-five  minutes.  If,  then,  Phileas  Fogg  had  left 
the  night  before  in  the  China,  one  of  the  best  sailers  of  the 
Cunard  line,  he  would  have  arrived  at  Liverpool,  and  then 
in  London,  in  the  desired  time! 

^  Phileas  Fogg  left  the  hotel  alone,  having  recommended 
his  servant  to  wait  for  him,  and  to  notify  Aouda  to  hold 
herself  in  readiness  at  any  moment. 

Mr.  Fogg  repaired  to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  and 
among  the  ships  moored  to  the  wharf,  or  anchored  in  the 
stream,  he  sought  with  care  those  which  were  about  to 
leave.  Several  vessels  had  their  signals  for  departure  up 
and  were  preparing  to  put  to  sea  at  the  morning  high  tide. 


FOGG   IN   A    STRUGGLE  319 

for  in  this  immense  and  admirable  port,  there  is  not  a  dav 
when  a  hundred  vessels  do  not  set  sail  for  every  quarter  of 
the  globe;  but  the  most  of  them  were  sailing  vessels,  and 
they  would  not  suit  Phileas  Fogg. 

This  gentleman  was  seeming  to  fail  in  his  last  attempt, 
when  he  perceived,  moored  in  front  of  the  battery,  at  a 
cable's  length  at  most,  a  merchantman,  with  screw,  of  fine 
outlines,  whose  smoke-stack,  emitting  clouds  of  smoke,  in- 
dicated that  she  was  preparing  to  sail. 

Phileas  Fogg  hailed  a  boat,  got  in  it,  and  with  a  few 
strokes  of  the  oar,  he  found  himself  at  the  ladder  of  the 
Henrietta,  an  iron-hulled  steamer,  with  her  upper  parts  of 
wood. 

The  captain  of  the  Henrietta  was  on  board.  Phileas 
Fogg  went  up  on  deck  and  asked  for  the  captain,  who 
presented  himself  immediately. 

He  was  a  man  fifty  years  old,  a  sort  of  sea  wolf,  a  grum- 
bler who  would  not  be  very  accommodating.  His  large 
eyes,  his  complexion  oxydized  copper,  his  red  hair,  his 
large  chest  and  shoulders,  indicated  nothing  of  the  appear- 
ance of  a  man  of  the  world. 

"The  captain?"  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  I  am  he." 
I  am  Phileas  Fogg,  of  London." 
And  I  am  Andrew  Speedy,  of  Cardiff." 

"  You  are  going  to  start  ?  " 

"  In  an  hour." 

"  You  are  loaded  for ?  " 

"  Bordeaux." 

"And  your  cargo?" 

"  Gravel  in  the  hold.  I  Have  no  freight.  I  sail  in  bal- 
last." 

"  You  have  passengers  ?  " 

"  No  passengers.  Never  have  passengers.  A'  merchan- 
dise that's  in  the  way  and  reasons." 

"Your  vessel  sails  swiftly?" 

"  Between  eleven  and  twelve  knots.  The  Henrietta,  well 
known." 

"  Do  you  wish  to  convey  me  to  Liverpool,  myself  and 
three  persons  ?  " 

"To  Liverpool?    Why  not  to  China? 
"  I  said  Liverpool." 


t( 


>» 


3,20     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS' 


"No!" 
"No?" 


"  No.  I  am  setting  out  for  Bordeaux,  and  I  shall  go 
tq  Bordeaux." 

It  don't  matter  what  price?" 
It  don't  matter  what  price ! " 

The  captain  spoke  in  a  tone  which  did  not  admit  of  a 
reply. 

"  But  the  owners  of  the  Henrietta "  replied  Phileas 

Fogg. 

"  The  owners  of  the  Henrietta  are  myself,"  replied  the 
captain.     "  The  vessel  belongs  to  me." 

"  I  will  freight  it  for  you." 

"  No." 

"No?" 

"  I  will  buy  it  from  you." 

Phileas  Fogg  did  not  change  countenance.  But  the  sit- 
uation was  serious.  It  was  not  at  New  York  as  at  Hong 
Kong,  nor  with  the  captain  of  the  Henrietta  as  with  the 
captain  of  the  Tankadere.  Until  the  present  the  gentle- 
man's money  had  always  overcome  obstacles.  This  time 
the  money  failed. 

But  the  means  of  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  a  vessel  must 
be  found,  unless  they  went  across  in  a  balloon,  which  would 
have  been  very  venturesome,  and  which,  besides,  was  not 
practicable. 

Phileas  Fogg,  however,  appeared  to  have  an  idea,  for 
he  said  to  the  captain :  "  Well,  will  you  take  me  to  Bor- 
deaux?" 

"  No,  even  if  you  would  pay  me  two  hundred  dollars." 

"  I  offer  you  two  thousand." 

"For  each  person?" 

"  For  each  person." 

"And  there  are  four  of  you?" 

"  Four." 

Captain  Speedy  commenced  to  scratch  his  forehead  as 
iif  he  would  tear  the  skin  off.  Eight  thousand  dollars  to 
be  made,  without  changing  his  course;  it  was  well  worth 
the  trouble  of  putting  aside  his  decided  antipathy  for  every 
kind  of  passenger.  Passengers  at  two  thousand  dollars 
apiece,  besides,  are  no  longer  passengers,  but  valuable  mer- 
chandise. 

V.  Vn  Vern« 


FOGG   IN   A   STRUGGLE  321 

"  I  leave  at  nine  o'clock,"  said  Captain  Speedy,  simply, 
"  and  you  and  yours  will  be  there  ?  " 

"  At  nine  o'clock  we  will  be  on  board ! "  simply  replied 
Mr.  Fogg. 

It  was  half  past  eight.  To  land  from  the  Henrietta,  get 
in  a  carriage,  repair  to  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  and  take 
back  with  him  Aouda,  Passepartout,  and  even  the  insep- 
arable Fix,  to  whom  he  graciously  offered  a  passage,  this 
was  all  done  by  the  gentleman  with  the  quiet  which  never 
deserted  him  under  any  circumstances.  At  the  moment 
that  the  Henrietta  was  ready  to  sail,  all  four  were  aboard. 

When  Passepartout  learned  what  this  last  voyage  would 
cost,  he  uttered  one  of  those  prolonged  "  Oh's!  "  which  run 
through  all  the  spaces  of  the  descending  chromatic  scale! 

As  for  Detective  Fix,  he  said  to  himself  that  the  Bank  of 
England  would  not  come  out  whole  from  this  affair.  In 
fact,  by  the  time  of  their  arrival,  and  admitting  that  this 
Mr.  Fogg  would  not  throw  a  few  handfuls  besides  into 
the  sea,  more  than  seven  thousand  pounds  would  be  miss- 
ing from  the  bank  notes  in  the  traveling  bag! 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 

IN   WHICH   PHILEAS   FOGG  SHOWS   HIMSELF  EQUAL  TO   CIR- 
CUMSTANCES 

An  hour  afterwards  the  steamer  Henrietta  passed  the 
light-boat  which  marks  the  entrance  of  the  Hudson,  turned 
Sandy  Hook  Point,  and  put  to  sea.  During  the  day  she 
skirted  Long  Island,  in  the  offing  of  the  Fire  Island  Light, 
and  rapidly  ran  towards  the  east. 

At  noon  of  the  next  day,  the  13th  of  December,  a  man 
went  upon  the  bridge  to  take  charge  of  the  vessel.  It 
would  certainly  be  supposed  that  this  man  was  Captain 
Speedy!     Not  at  all.     It  was  Phileas  Fogg. 

As  for  Captain  Speedy,  he  was  very  snugly  locked  up  in 
his  cabin,  and  was  howling  at  a  rate  that  denoted  an  anger 
very  pardonable,  which  amounted  to  a  paroxysm. 

What  had  happened  was  very  simple.  Phileas  Fogg 
wanted  to  go  to  Liverpool ;  the  captain  would  not  take  him 
there.  Then  Phileas  Fogg  had  agreed  to  take  passage  for 
Bordeaux,  and  during  the  thirty  hours  that  he  had  been 


322      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

on  board,  he  had  maneuvered  so  well  with  his  bank  notes, 
that  the  crew,  sailors  and  firemen — ^an  occasional  crew,  on 
bad  terms  with  the  captain — belonged  to  him.  And  this 
is  why  Phileas  Fogg  commanded  in  the  place  of  Captain 
Speedy,  why  the  captain  was  shut  up  in  his  cabin,  and 
why,  finally,  the  Henrietta  was  steering  her  course  towards 
Liverpool.  It  was  very  clear,  seeing  Mr.  Fogg  maneuver, 
that  he  had  been  a  sailor. 

Now,  how  the  adventure  would  come  out,  would  be 
known  later.  Aouda's  uneasiness  did  not  cease,  although 
she  said  nothing.  Fix  was  stunned  at  first.  Passepartout 
found  the  thing  simply  splendid. 

"  Between  eleven  and  twelve  knots,"  Captain  Speedy  had 
said,  and  the  Henrietta  did  indeed  maintain  this  average 
of  speed. 

If  then — how  many  "ifs"  yet! — if  the  sea  did  not  be- 
come too  rough,  if  the  wind  did  not  rise  in  the  east,  if  no 
mishap  occurred  to  the  vessel,  no  accident  to  the  engine,  the 
Henrietta  in  the  nine  days,  counting  from  the  12th  of  De- 
cember to  the  2ist,  could  accomplish  the  three  thousand 
miles  separating  New  York  from  Liverpool.  It  is  true 
that  once  arrived,  the  Henrietta  affair  on  top  of  the  bank 
affair  might  take  the  gentleman  a  little  farther  than  he 
.would  like. 

During  the  first  few  days  they  went  along  under  excel- 
lent conditions.  The  wind  was  not  too  rough;  the  sails 
were  hoisted,  and  with  them  the  Henrietta  sailed  like  a 
genuine  transatlantic  steamer. 

Passepartout  was  delighted.  The  last  exploit  of  his  mas- 
ter, the  consequences  of  which  he  preferred  not  to  consider, 
filled  him  with  enthusiasm.  The  crew  had  never  seen  a 
gayer,  more  agile  fellow.  He  made  a  thousand  friendships 
with  the  sailors  and  astonished  them  by  his  acrobatic  feats. 
He  lavished  upon  them  the  best  names  and  the  most  at- 
tractive drinks.  He  thought  that  they  maneuvered  like 
gentlemen,  and  that  the  firemen  coaled  up  like  heroes.  His 
good  humor  was  very  communicative,  and  impressed  itself 
upon  all.  He  had  forgotten  the  past,  with  its  annoyances 
and  its  perils.  He  thought  only  of  the  end,  so  nearly 
reached,  and  sometimes  he  boiled  over  with  impatience,  as 
if  he  had  been  heated  by  the  furnaces  of  the  Henrietta. 
Frequently,  also,  the  worthy  fellow  revolved  around  Fix; 


EQUAL   TO    CIRCUMSTANCES  323 

he  looked  at  him  with  a  distrustful  eye,  but  he  did  not  speak 
to  him,  for  there  no  longer  existed  any  intimacy  between 
these  two  old  friends. 

Besides,  Fix,  it  must  be  confessed,  did  not  understand 
this  thing  at  all.  The  conquest  of  the  Henrietta,  the  pur- 
chase of  her  crew,  and  Fogg  maneuvering  like  an  accom- 
plished seaman — this  combination  of  things  confused  him. 
He  did  not  know  what  to  think.  But,  after  all,  a  man  who 
commenced  by  stealing  fifty-five  thousand  pounds  could 
finish  by  stealing  a  vessel.  And  Fix  was  naturally  led  to 
believe  that  the  Henrietta,  directed  by  Fogg,  was  not  going 
to  Liverpool  at  all,  but  into  some  quarter  of  the  world  where 
the  robber,  become  a  pirate,  would  quietly  place  himself  in 
safety!  This  hypothesis,  it  must  be  confessed,  could  not 
be  more  plausible,  and  the  detective  commenced  to  regret 
very  seriously  having  entered  upon  this  affair. 

As  for  Captain  Speedy,  he  continued  to  howl  in  his 
cabin,  and  Passepartout,  whose  duty  it  was  to  provide  his 
meals,  did  it  only  with  the  greatest  precautions,  although 
he  was  so  strong.  Phileas  Fogg  had  no  longer  the  ap- 
pearance of  even  suspecting  that  there  was  a  captain  on 
board. 

On  the  13th,  they  passed  the  edge  of  the  Banks  of  New- 
foundland. Those  are  bad  latitudes.  During  the  winter, 
especially,  the  fogs  are  frequent  there,  the  blows  dreadful. 
Since  the  day  before,  the  barometer,  suddenly  fallen,  in- 
dicated an  approaching  change  in  the  atmosphere.  In  fact, 
during  the  night  the  temperature  varied,  the  cold  became 
keener,  and  at  the  same  time  the  wind  shifted  into  the 
southeast. 

This  was  a  misfortune.  Mr.  Fogg,  in  order  not  to  be 
driven  out  of  his  course,  had  to  reef  his  sails  and  increase 
his  steam.  But  the  progress  of  the  ship  was  slackened, 
owing  to  the  condition  of  the  sea,  whose  long  waves  broke 
against  her  stern.  She  was  violently  tossed  about,  and 
to  the  detriment  of  her  speed.  The  breeze  increased  by 
degrees  to  a  hurricane,  and  it  was  already  a  probable  event 
that  the  Henrietta  might  not  be  able  to  hold  herself  upright 
against  the  waves.  Now,  if  she  had  to  fly  before  the  storm, 
the  unknown,  with  all  its  bad  chances,  threatened  them. 

Passepartout's  face  darkened  at  the  same  time  as  the 
sky,  and  for  two  days  the  good  fellow  was  in  mortal  dread. 


3^4      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

But  Phileas  Fogg  was  a  bold  sailor,  who  knew  how  to  keep 
head  against  the  sea,  and  he  kept  on  his  course,  without 
even  putting  the  vessel  under  a  small  head  of  steam.  The 
Henrietta,  whenever  she  could  rise  with  the  wave,  passed 
over  it,  but  her  deck  was  swept  from  end  to  end.  Some- 
times, too,  when  a  mountain  wave  raised  the  stern  out  of 
the  water,  the  screw  came  out  of  the  water,  beating  the  air 
with  its  blades,  but  the  ship  still  moved  right  on. 

Still  the  wind  did  not  become  as  severe  as  might  have 
been  feared.  It  was  not  one  of  those  hurricanes  which 
sweep  on  with  a  velocity  of  ninety  miles  an  hour.  It  con- 
tinued quite  fresh,  but  unfortunately  it  blew  obstinately 
from  the  southeast,  and  did  not  allow  the  sails  to  be  hoisted. 
And  yet,  as  we  will  see,  it  would  have  been  very  useful  if 
they  could  have  come  to  the  aid  of  the  steam! 

The  1 6th  of  December  was  the  seventy-fifth  day  that  had 
elapsed  since  leaving  London.  The  Henrietta  had  not  yet 
been  seriously  delayed.  The  half  of  the  voyage  was  nearly 
accomplished,  and  the  worst  localities  had  been  passed. 
In  summer,  success  would  have  been  certain.  In  winter 
they  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  bad  weather.  Passepartout 
did  not  speak.  Secretly  he  hoped,  and  if  the  wind  failed 
them,  he  counted  at  least  upon  the  steam. 

Now,  on  this  day,  the  engineer  ascended  to  the  deck, 
met  Mr.  Fogg,  and  talked  very  earnestly  with  him.  With- 
out knowing  why — ^by  a  presentiment,  doubtless — Passe- 
partout felt  a  sort  of  vague  uneasiness.  He  would  have 
given  one  of  his  ears  to  have  heard  with  the  other  what 
was  said.  But  he  could  catch  a  few  words,  these  among 
others,  uttered  by  his  master:  "You  are  certain  of  what 
you  say  ?  " 

"  I  am  certain,  sir,"  replied  the  engineer.  "  Do  not  for- 
get that,  since  our  departure,  all  our  furnaces  have  been 
going,  and  although  we  had  enough  coal  to  go  under  a 
small  head  of  steam  from  New  York  to  Bordeaux,  we 
have  not  enough  for  a  full  head  of  steam  from  New  York 
to  Liverpool  1  " 

"  I  will  take  the  matter  under  consideration,"  replied 
Mr.  Fogg. 

_  Passepartout  understood.     A  mortal   fear  took  posses- 
sion of  him. 

The  coal  was  about  to  give  out. 


EQUAL   TO    CIRCUMSTANCES  325 

"Ah!  if  my  master  wards  that  off,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"  he  will  certainly  be  a  famous  man !  " 

And  having  met  Fix,  he  could  not  help  posting  him  as 
to  the  situation. 

"  Then,"  replied  the  detective,  with  set  teeth,  "  you  be- 
lieve that  we  are  going  to  Liverpool?" 

"I  do,  indeed!" 

"  Idiot !  "  replied  the  detective,  shrugging  his  shoulders 
as  he  turned  away. 

Passepartout  was  on  the  point  of  sharply  resenting  the 
epithet,  whose  true  signification  he  could  not  understand; 
but  he  said  to  himself  that  the  unfortunate  Fix  must  be 
very  much  disappointed,  and  humiliated  in  his  self  esteem, 
having  so  awkwardly  followed  a  false  scent  around  the 
world,  and  he  refrained  from  condemning  him. 

And  now  what  course  was  Phileas  Fogg  going  to  take? 
It  was  difficult  to  guess.  But  it  appeared  that  the  phleg- 
matic gentleman  decided  upon  one,  for  that  evening  he  sent 
for  the  engineer  and  said  to  him :  "  Keep  up  your  fires  and 
■continue  on  your  course  until  the  complete  exhaustion  of 
the  fuel." 

A  few  moments  after,  the  smoke  stack  of  the  Henrietta 
was  vomiting  torrents  of  smoke. 

The  vessel  continued,  then,  to  sail  under  full  steam;  but, 
as  he  had  announced,  two  days  later,  the  i8th,  the  engineer 
informed  him  that  the  coal  would  give  out  during  the  day. 

"  Don't  let  the  fires  go  down,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg.  "  On 
the  contrary,  let  the  valves  be  charged." 

About  noon  of  this  day,  having  taken  observations  and 
calculated  the  position  of  the  vessel,  Phileas  Fogg  sent  for 
Passepartout  and  ordered  him  to  go  for  Captain  Speedy. 
This  good  fellow  felt  as  if  he  had  been  commanded  to 
tmchain  a  tiger,  and  he  descended  into  the  poop,  saying  to 
himself,  "Positively  I  shall  find  a  madman!" 

In  fact,  a  few  minutes  later  a  bomb  came  on  the  poop 
deck,  in  the  midst  of  cries  and  oaths.  This  bomb  was 
Captain  Speedy.     It  was  evident  that  it  was  going  to  burst. 

"Where  are  we?"  were  the  first  words  he  uttered  in 
the  midst  of  his  choking  anger,  and  certainly  if  the  worthy 
man  had  been  apoplectic,  he  would  never  have  recovered 
from  it. 

"  Where  are  we?"  he  repeated,  his  face  purple. 


326      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

"  Seven  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  Liverpool,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Fogg,  with  imperturbable  calmness. 

"  Pirate !  "  cried  Andrew  Speedy. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,  sir " 

"  Sea-skimmer ! " 

— "  Sir,"  continued  Phileas  Fogg,  "  to  ask  you  to  sell  me 
your  ship." 

"No!  by  all  the  devils,  no!" 

"  I  shall  be  obliged  to  burn  her." 

"  To  burn  my  ship !  " 

"  At  least  her  upper  portions,  for  we  are  out  of  fuel." 

"  Burn  my  ship !  "  cried  Captain  Speedy,  who  could  no 
longer  pronounce  his  syllables.  "  A  ship  that  is  worth  fifty 
thousand  dollars ! " 

"  Here  are  sixty  thousand ! "  replied  Phileas  Fogg,  of- 
fering him  a  roll  of  bank  notes. 

This  produced  a  powerful  effect  upon  Andrew  Speedy. 
No  American  is  without  emotion  at  the  sight  of  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  captain  forgot  in  an  instant  his  anger, 
his  imprisonment,  all  his  grievances  from  his  passenger. 
His  ship  was  twenty  years  old.  It  might  be  quite  a  bar- 
gain !  The  bomb  could  not  explode.  Mr.  Fogg  had  with- 
drawn the  fuse. 

"  And  the  iron  hull  will  be  left  me,"  he  said  in  a  singu- 
larly softened  tone. 

"The  iron  hull  and  the  engine,  sir.     It  is  a  bargain?" 

"A  bargain." 

And  Andrew  Speedy,  snatching  the  roll  of  bank  notes, 
counted  them  and  slipped  them  into  his  pocket. 

During  this  scene.  Passepartout  was  white  as  a  sheet. 
As  for  Fix  he  narrowly  escaped  an  apoplectic  fit.  Nearly 
twenty  thousand  pounds  spent,  and  yet  this  Fogg  was  going 
to  relinquish  to  the  seller  the  hull  and  the  engine,  that  is, 
nearly  the  entire  value  of  the  vessel !  It  is  true  that  the  sum 
stolen  from  the  bank  amounted  to  fifty-five  thousand 
pounds ! 

When  Andrew  Speedy  had  pocketed  his  money,  Mr.  Fogg 
said  to  him :  "  Sir,  don't  let  all  this  astonish  you.  Know 
that  I  lose  twenty  thousand  pounds  if  I  am  not  in  London 
on  the  21  St  of  December,  at  a  quarter  before  nine  in  the 
evening.  Now,  I  had  missed  the  steamer  from  New  York, 
and  as  you  refused  to  take  me  to  Liverpool " 


EQUAL    TO    CIRCUMSTANCES  327 

"And  I  have  done  well,  by  all  the  imps  of  the  lower 
regions,"  cried  Andrew  Speedy,  "  since  I  make  by  it  at 
least  forty  thousand  dollars." 

Then  he  added,  more  calmly :  "  Do  you  know  one  thing, 
captain ?  " 

"  Fogg." 

"  Well,  Captain  Fogg,  there  is  something  of  the  Yankee 
in  you." 

And  having  paid  his  passenger  what  he  thought  to  be  a 
compliment,  he  went  away,  when  Phileas  Fogg  said  to 
him:  "  Now  this  ship  belongs  to  me?  " 

"  Certainly,  from  the  keel  to  the  truck  of  the  masts,  all 
the  wood,  understand." 

"  Very  well.  Cut  away  the  inside  arrangements  and 
fire  up  with  the  debris." 

It  may  be  judged  how  much  of  this  dry  wood  was  neces- 
sary to  maintain  the  steam  at  a  sufficient  pressure.  This 
day,  the  poop  deck,  the  cabins,  the  bunks,  and  the  spare 
deck  all  went. 

The  next  day,  the  19th  of  December,  they  burned  the 
masts,  the  rafts,  and  the  spars.  They  cut  down  the  masts, 
and  delivered  them  to  the  ax.  The  crew  displayed  an  in- 
credible zeal.  Passepartout,  hewing,  cutting,  sawing,  did 
the  work  of  ten  men.     It  was  a  perfect  fury  of  demolition. 

The  next  day,  the  20th,  the  railings,  the  armor,  all  of 
the  ship  above  water,  the  greater  part  of  the  deck,  were 
consumed.  The  Henrietta  was  now  a  vessel  cut  down  like 
a  pontoon. 

But  on  this  day  they  sighted  the  coast  of  Ireland  and 
Fastnet  Light. 

However,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  ship  was  only 
passing  Oueenstown.  Phileas  Fogg  had  only  twenty-four 
hours  to  reach  London !  Now,  this  was  the  time  the  Hen- 
rietta needed  to  reach  Liverpool,  even  under  full  head- 
way.    And  the  steam  was  about  to  fail  the  bold  gentleman ! 

"  Sir,"  said  Captain  Speedy  to  him  then,  who  had  come 
to  be  interested  in  his  projects,  "  I  really  pity  you.  Every- 
thing is  against  you.  We  are  as  yet  only  in  front  of 
Queenstown." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Mr.  Fogg.  "  that  is  Queenstown,  the  place 
where  we  perceive  the  light?  " 

"  Yes." 


328     ROUND   THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

"  Can  we  enter  the  harbor?  " 

"  Not  for  three  hours.     Only  at  high  tide." 

"  Let  us  wait,"  Phileas  Fogg  repHed  calmly,  without  let- 
ting it  be  seen  on  his  face  that,  by  a  last  inspiration,  he 
was  going  to  try  to  conquer  once  more  his  contrary  fate ! 

Queenstown  is  a  port  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  at  which 
the  transatlantic  steamers  coming  from  the  United  States 
deposit  their  mail  bag.  These  letters  are  carried  to  Dublin 
by  express  trains  always  ready  to  start.  From  Dublin  they 
arrive  in  Liverpool  by  very  swift  vessels,  thus  gaining 
twelve  hours  over  the  most  rapid  sailers  of  the  ocean. 

These  twelve  hours  which  the  American  couriers  gained, 
Phileas  Fogg  intended  to  gain,  too.  Instead  of  arriving 
by  the  Henrietta  in  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  at  Liver- 
pool, he  would  be  there  by  noon,  and,  consequently,  he 
would  have  time  enough  to  reach  London  before  a  quarter 
of  nine  in  the  evening. 

Towards  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  Henrietta  en- 
tered Queenstown  harbor  at  high  tide,  and  Phileas  Fogg, 
having  received  a  vigorous  shake  of  the  hand  from  Captain 
Speedy,  left  him  on  the  leveled  hulk  of  his  vessel,  still  worth 
the  half  of  what  he  had  sold  it  for! 

The  passengers  landed  immediately.  Fix,  at  this  mo- 
ment, had  a  fierce  desire  to  arrest  Mr.  Fogg.  He  did  not 
do  it,  however.  Why?  What  conflict  was  going  on 
within  him?  Had  he  changed  his  mind  with  reference  to 
Mr.  Fogg?  Did  he  finally  perceive  that  he  was  mistaken? 
Fix,  however,  did  not  leave  Mr.  Fogg.  With  him,  Aouda, 
and  Passepartout,  who  did  not  take  time  to  breathe, 
he  jumped  into  the  train  at  Queenstown  at  half  past  one 
in  the  morning,  arrived  in  Dublin  at  break  of  day,  and  im- 
mediately embarked  on  one  of  those  steamers — regular  steel 
spindles,  all  engine — which,  disdaining  to  rise  with  the 
waves,  invariably  pass  right  through  them. 

At  twenty  minutes  before  noon,  the  21st  of  December, 
Phileas  Fogg  finally  landed  on  the  quay  at  Liverpool.  He 
was  now  only  six  hours  from  London. 

But  at  this  moment  Fix  approached  him,  put  his  hand  on 
his  shoulder,  and,  showing  his  warrant,  said :  "  You  are 
really  Phileas  Fogg?" 

"Yes.  sir." 

"  I  arrest  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Queen! " 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

WHICH    GIVES    PASSEPARTOUT    THE    OPPORTUNITY    OF    LET- 
TING   OUT    SOME    ATROCIOUS,    BUT    PERHAPS    UN- 
PUBLISHED,   WORDS 

Phileas  Fogg  was  in  prison.  He  had  been  shut  up  in 
the  custom  house  in  Liverpool,  and  was  to  pass  the  night 
there,  awaiting  his  transfer  to  London. 

At  the  moment  of  his  arrest,  Passepartout  wished  to 
rush  upon  the  detective.  Some  pohcemen  held  him  back, 
Aouda,  frightened  by  the  brutality  of  the  act,  and  knowing 
nothing  about  it,  could  not  understand  it.  Passepartout 
explained  the  situation  to  her.  Mr.  Fogg,  this  honest  and 
courageous  gentleman,  to  whom  she  owed  her  life,  was 
arrested  as  a  robber.  The  young  woman  protested  against 
such  an  allegation,  her  heart  rose  with  indigation,  and  tears 
flowed  from  her  eyes  when  she  saw  that  she  could  not  do 
anything,  or  attempt  anything  to  save  her  deliverer. 

As  for  Fix.  he  had  arrested  the  gentleman  because  his 
duty  commanded  him  to,  whether  he  was  guilty  or  not. 
The  courts  would  decide  the  question. 

But  then  a  thought  came  to  Passepartout — the  terrible 
thought  that  he  was  certainly  the  cause  of  all  this  misfor- 
tune! Indeed,  why  had  he  concealed  this  adventure  from 
Mr.  Fogg?  When  Fix  had  revealed  both  his  capacity  as 
a  detective  and  the  mission  with  which  he  was  charged,  why 
had  he  decided  not  to  warn  his  master?  The  latter,  in- 
formed, would  without  doubt  have  given  Fix  proofs  of 
his  innocence;  he  would  have  demonstrated  to  him  his  error; 
at  any  rate  he  would  not  have  conveyed  at  his  expense  and 
on  his  tracks  this  unfortunate  detective,  whose  first  care 
was  to  arrest  him  the  moment  he  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  the 
United  Kingdom.  Thinking  of  his  faults  and  his  impru- 
dence, the  poor  fellow  was  overwhelmed  with  remorse. 
He  wept,  so  that  it  was  painful  to  look  at  him.  He  felt 
like  blowing  his  brains  out. 

Aouda  and  he  remained,  notwithstanding  the  cold, 
under  the  porch  of  the  custom  house.  Neither  of  them 
wished  to  leave  the  place.  They  wanted  to  see  Mr.  Fogg 
once  more. 

As  for  that  gentleman,  he  was  really  ruined,  and  at  the 
very  moment  that  he  was  about  to  reach  his  end.  This 
arrest  would  ruin  him  irrecoverably.     Having  arrived  at 

329 


330      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

Liverpool  at  twenty  minutes  before  twelve,  noon,  on  tHe 
2 1  St  of  December,  he  had  until  quarter  of  nine  in  the 
evening  to  appear  at  the  Reform  Club — that  is,  nine  hours 
and  five  minutes,  and  he  only  needed  six  to  reach  London. 
'At  this  moment,  anyone  entering  the  custom  house  would 
have  found  Mr.  Fogg  seated  motionless,  on  a  wooden 
bench,  without  anger,  imperturbable.  He  could  not  have 
been  said  to  be  resigned,  but  this  blow  had  not  been  able  to 
move  him,  in  appearance  at  least.  Was  he  fostering  within 
himself  one  of  those  secret  spells  of  anger,  terrible  because 
they  are  pent  up,  and  which  break  out  only  at  the  last  mo- 
ment with  irresistible  force?  We  do  not  know.  But 
Phileas  Fogg  was  there,  calm,  waiting  for — what?  Did 
he  cherish  some  hope?  Did  he  still  believe  in  success,  when 
the  door  of  his  prison  was  closed  upon  him.? 

However  that  may  be,  Mr.  Fogg  carefully  put  his  watch 
on  the  table,  and  watched  the  hands  move.  Not  a  word 
escaped  from  his  lips,  but  his  look  had  a  rather  singular 
fixedness. 

In  any  event  the  situation  was  terrible,  and  for  anyone 
that  could  read  his  thoughts,  they  ran  thus: 

An  honest  man,  Phileas  Fogg  was  ruined. 

A  dishonest  man,  he  was  caught. 

Did  he  think  of  escaping?  Did  he  think  of  looking  to 
see  whether  there  was  a  practicable  outlet  from  his  prison? 
Did  he  think  of  flying?  We  would  be  tempted  to  believe 
so;  for,  once  he  took  the  tour  of  the  room.  But  the  door 
was  securely  locked  and  the  windows  had  iron  bars.  He 
sat  down  again,  and  took  from  his  pocket-book  the  diary 
of  his  journey.     On  the  line  which  bore  these  words: 

"December  21st,  Saturday,  Liverpool,"  he  added: 

"  Eightieth  day,  11 140  a.  m.,"  and  he  waited. 

The  custom  house  clock  struck  one.  Mr.  Fogg  observed 
that  his  watch  was  two  hours  fast  by  this  clock. 

Two  hours !  Admitting  that  he  should  jump  aboard  an 
express  train  at  this  moment  he  could  still  arrive  in  Lon- 
don and  at  the  Reform  Club  before  quarter  of  nine  in  the 
evening.     A  light  frown  passed  over  his  forehead. 

At  thirty-three  minutes  after  two  o'clock,  a  noise  sounded 
outside,  a  bustle  from  the  opening  of  doors.  The  voice  of 
Passepartout  was  heard,  and  also  that  of  Fix. 

Phileas  Fogg's  look  brightened  up  a  moment. 


SOME    ATROCIOUS    WORDS  331 

The  door  opened,  and  he  saw  Aouda,  Passepartout,  Fix, 
rushing  towards  him. 

Fix  was  out  of  breath,  his  hair  all  disordered,  and  he 
could  not  speak. 

"  Sir,"  he  stammered,  "  sir — pardon — an  unfortunate 
resemblance — robber  arrested  three  days  ago — you — 
free !" 

Phileas  Fogg  was  free!  He  went  to  the  detective, 
looked  him  well  in  the  face,  and,  with  the  only  rapid  move- 
ment that  he  ever  had  made  or  ever  would  make  in  his  life, 
he  drew  both  his  arms  back,  and  then,  with  the  precision 
of  an  automaton,  he  struck  the  unfortunate  detective  with 
both  his  fists. 

"Well  hit!"  cried  Passepartout,  who,  allowing  himself 
an  atrocious  flow  of  words,  quite  worthy  of  a  Frenchman, 
added :  "  Zounds !  this  is  what  might  be  called  a  fine  appli- 
cation of  English  fists!" 

Fix,  prostrate,  did  not  utter  a  word.  He  only  got  what 
he  deserved.  But  Mr.  Fogg,  Aouda,  and  Passepar- 
tout immediately  left  the  custom  house.  They  jumped  into 
a  carriage,  and  in  a  few  minutes  arrived  at  the  depot. 
Phileas  Fogg  asked  if  there  was  an  express  train  ready  to 
start  for  London. 

It  was  forty  minutes  past  two.  The  express  had  left 
thirty-five  minutes  before. 

Phileas  Fogg  then  ordered  a  special  train.  There  were 
several  locomotives  of  great  speed  with  steam  up;  but, 
owing  to  the  exigencies  of  the  service,  the  special  train 
could  not  leave  the  depot  before  three  o'clock. 

At  three  o'clock,  Phileas  Fogg,  after  saying  a  few  words 
to  the  engineer  about  a  certain  reward  to  be  won,  moved 
on  in  the  direction  of  London,  in  the  company  of  the  young 
woman  and  his  faithful  servant. 

The  distance  which  separates  Liverpool  from  London 
must  be  accomplished  in  five  hours  and  a  half — a  very 
feasible  thing  when  the  road  is  clear  on  the  whole  route. 
But  there  were  compulsory  delays,  and  when  the  gentle- 

Phileas  Fogg,  after  having  accomplished  this  tour  of  the 
world,  arrived  five  minutes  behind  time! 

He  had  lost  his  bet. 
man  arrived  at  the  depot  all  the  clocks  in  London  were  strik- 
ng  ten  minutes  of  nine. 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

IN    WHICH    PASSEPARTOUT    DOES    NOT    HAVE    REPEATED    TO 
HIM    TWICE   THE   ORDER    HIS    MASTER    GIVES    HIM 

The  next  day  the  residents  of  Saville  Row  would  have 
been  much  surprised,  if  they  had  been  told  that  Phileas 
Fogg  had  returned  to  his  dwelHng.  The  doors  and  win- 
dows were  all  closed.     No  change  had  taken  place  outside. 

After  leaving  the  depot  Phileas  Fogg  gave  Passepartout 
an  order  to  buy  some  provisions,  and  he  had  gone  into  his 
house. 

This  gentleman  received  with  his  habitual  impassibility 
the  blow  which  struck  him.  Ruined!  and  by  the  fault  of 
that  awkward  detective!  After  moving  on  with  steady  step 
during  this  long  trip,  overturning  a  thousand  obstacles, 
braving  a  thousand  dangers,  and  having  still  found  time  to 
do  some  good  on  his  route,  to  fail  before  a  brutal  act,  which 
he  could  not  foresee,  and  against  which  he  was  defenseless 
— that  was  terrible!  He  had  left  only  an  insignificant 
remnant  of  the  large  sum  which  he  had  taken  away  with 
him  when  he  started  on  his  journey.  His  fortune  now 
only  consisted  of  the  twenty  thousand  pounds  deposited  at 
Baring  Brothers,  and  those  twenty  thousand  pounds  he 
owed  to  his  colleagues  of  the  Reform  Club.  Having  in- 
curred so  many  expenses,  if  he  had  won  the  bet  he  would 
not  have  been  enriched;  and,  it  is  probable  that  he, had  not 
sought  to  enrich  himself,  being  of  that  class  of  men  who 
bet  for  the  sake  of  honor — but  this  bet  lost  would  ruin  him 
entirely.  The  gentleman's  decision  was  taken.  He  knew 
what  remained  for  him  to  do. 

A  room  in  the  house  in  Saville  Row  was  set  apart  for 
Aouda.  The  young  woman  was  desperate.  From  certain 
words  which  Mr.  Fogg  let  drop,  she  understood  that  he 
contemplated  some  fatal  design. 

It  is  known,  indeed,  to  what  lamentable  extremities  these 
Englishmen  are  carried  sometimes  under  the  pressure  of 
a  fixed  idea.  Thus,  Passepartout,  without  seeming  to  do 
so,  was  closely  watching  his  master. 

But  first  the  good  fellow  descended  to  his  room  and 
turned  off  the  burner  which  had  been  burning  for  eighty 
days.  He  found  in  the  letter  box  a  note  from  the  gas 
company,  and  he  thought  that  it  was  more  than  time  to 
stop  the  expenses  for  which  he  was  responsible. 

332 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    ORDER  333 

The  night  passed.  Mr.  Fogg  had  retired;  but  had  he 
slept?  As  for  Aouda,  she  could  not  take  a  single  moment's 
rest.  Passepartout  had  watched,  like  a  dog,  at  his  mas- 
ter's door. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Fogg  sent  for  him,  and  ordered 
him  very  briefly  to  prepare  Aouda's  breakfast.  As  for 
himself,  he  would  be  satisfied  with  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  piece 
of  toast.  Aouda  would  be  kind  enough  to  excuse  him  from 
breakfast  and  dinner,  for  all  his  time  would  be  devoted  to 
arranging  his  affairs.  He  would  not  come  down,  he  would 
only  ask  Aouda's  permission  to  have  a  few  moment's  con- 
versation with  her  in  the  evening. 

Passepartout,  having  been  given  the  programme  for  the 
day,  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  conform  to  it.  He  looked 
at  his  master,  still  so  impassible,  and  he  could  not  make  up 
his  mind  to  quit  his  room.  His  heart  was  full,  and  his  con- 
science weighed  down  with  remorse,  for  he  accused  himself 
more  than  ever  for  this  Irreparable  disaster.  Yes  if  he 
had  warned  Mr.  Fogg,  if  he  had  disclosed  to  him  the  plans 
of  the  detective  Fix,  Mr.  Fogg  would  certainly  not  have 
dragged  the  detective  Fix  with  him  as  far  as  Liverpool, 
and  then < 

Passepartout  could  not  hold  in  any  longer.  "  My  mas- 
ter !  Monsieur  Fogg!  "  he  cried,  "  curse  me.  It  is  through 
my  fault  that " 

"  I  blame  no  one,"  replied  Phlleas  Fogg  In  the  calmest 
tone.     "  Go." 

Passepartout  left  the  room  and  went  to  find  the  young 
woman  to  whom  he  made  know  his  master's  intentions. 
"  Madame,"  he  added,  "  I  can  do  nothing  by  myself,  noth- 
ing at  all.  I  have  no  influence  pver  my  master's  mind. 
You,  perhaps " 

"  What  influence  would  I  have,"  replied  Aouda.  "  Mr. 
Fogg  is  subject  to  none.  Has  he  ever  understood  that  my 
gratitude  for  him  was  overflowing?  Has  he  ever  read  my 
heart?  My  friend  you  must  not  leave  him  for  a  single  In- 
stant. You  say  that  he  has  shown  a  desire  to  speak  to  me 
this  evening?  " 

"Yes,  madame.  It  is  no  doubt  with  reference  to  mak- 
ing your  position  in  England  comfortable." 

"  Let  us  wait,"  replied  the  young  woman,  who  was  quite 
pensive. 


334      ROUND    THE    WORLD    IN    EIGHTY    DAYS 

Thus,  during  this  day,  Sunday,  the  house  in  Saville  Row- 
was  as  if  uninhabited,  and  for  the  first  time  since  he  lived 
there,  Phileas  Fogg  did  not  go  to  his  club,  when  the  Parlia- 
ment House  clock  struck  half  past  eleven. 

And  why  should  this  gentleman  have  presented  himself 
at  the  Reform  Club?  His  colleagues  no  longer  expected 
him.  Since  Phileas  Fogg  did  not  appear  in  the  saloon  of 
the  Reform  Club  the  evening  of  the  day  before,  on  this  fatal 
date,  Saturday,  December  21,  at  quarter  before  nine,  his  bet 
was  lost.  It  was  not  even  necessary  that  he  should  go  to  his 
banker's  to  draw  this  sum  of  twenty  thousand  pounds.  His 
opponents  had  in  their  hands  a  check  signed  by  him,  and  it 
only  needed  a  simple  writing  to  go  to  Baring  Brothers  in 
order  that  the  twenty  thousand  pounds  might  be  carried  to 
their  credit. 

Mr.  Fogg  had  then  nothing  to  take  him  out,  and  he  did 
not  go  out.  He  remained  in  his  room,  pu*^ting  his  affairs  in 
order.  Passepartout  was  continually  going  up  and  down 
stairs.  The  hours  did  not  move  for  this  poor  fellow.  He 
listened  at  the  door  of  his  master's  room,  and  in  doing  so, 
did  not  think  he  committed  the  least  indiscretion.  He 
looked  through  the  keyhole,  and  imagined  that  he  had  this 
right.  Passepartout  feared  at  every  moment  some  catas- 
trophe. Sometimes  he  thought  of  Fix,  but  a  change  had 
taken  place  in  his  mind.  He  no  longer  blamed  the  detective. 
Fix  had  been  deceived,  like  everybody  else,  wnth  respect  to 
Philas  Fogg,  and  in  following  him  and  arresting  him  he  had 
only  done  his  duty,  while  he .  This  thought  over- 
whelmed him,  and  he  considered  himself  the  most  wretched 
of  human  beings. 

When,  finally.  Passepartout  would  be  too  unhappy  to  be 
alone,  he  would  knock  at  Aouda's  door,  enter  her  room,  and 
sit  down  in  a  corner  without  saying  a  word,  and  look  at  the 
young  woman  with  a  pensive  air. 

About  half-post  seven  in  the  evening,  Phileas  Fogg  sent 
to  ask  Aouda  if  she  could  receive  him  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments after  the  young  woman  and  he  were  alone  in  the 
room. 

Phileas  Fogg  took  a  chair  and  sat  down  near  the  fire- 
place opposite  Aouda.  His  face  reflected  no  emotion.  Fogg 
returned  was  exactly  the  Fogg  who  had  gone  away.  The 
same  calmness,  the  same  impassibility. 


PASSEPARTOUT'S    ORDER  335 

He  remained  without  speaking  for  five  minutes.  Then, 
raising  his  eyes  to  Aouda,  he  said : 

"  Madame,  will  you  pardon  me  for  having  brought  you  to 
England?" 

"I,  Mr.  Fogg!"  replied  Aouda,  suppressing  the  throb- 
bings  of  her  heart. 

*'  Be  kind  enough  to  allow  me  to  finish,"  continued  Mr. 
Fogg.  "  When  I  thought  of  taking  you  so  far  away  from 
that  country,  become  so  dangerous  for  you,  I  was  rich,  and 
I  counted  on  placing  a  portion  of  my  fortune  at  your  dis- 
posal. Your  life  would  have  been  happy  and  free.  Now, 
I  am  ruined." 

"  I  know  it,  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  the  young  woman,  "  and 
I  in  turn  will  ask  you: — Will  you  pardon  me  for  having 
followed  you,  and — who  knows  ?  for  having  perhaps  assisted 
in  your  ruin  by  delaying  you?" 

"  Madame,  you  could  not  remain  in  India,  and  your 
safety  was  only  assured  by  removing  you  so  far  that  those 
fanatics  could  not  retake  you." 

"  So,  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  Aouda,  "  not  satisfied  with 
rescuing  me  from  a  horrible  death,  you  believed  you  were 
obliged  to  assure  my  position  abroad?" 

"  Yes,  madame,"  replied  Fogg,  "  but  events  have  turned 
against  me.  However,  I  ask  your  permission  to  dispose  of 
the  little  I  have  left  in  your  favor." 

"  But  you,  Mr.  Fogg,  what  will  become  of  you?  "  asked 
lAouda. 

"  I,  madame,  replied  the  gentleman,  coldly,  "  I  do  not 
need  anything." 

"  But  how,  sir,  do  you  look  upon  the  fate  that  awaits 
you?" 

As  I  ought  to  look  at  it,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 
In  any  event,"  continued  Aouda,  "  want  could  not  reacH 
such  a  man  as  you.     Your  friends " 

"  I  have  no  friends,  madame." 

"  Your  relatives " 

"  I  have  no  relatives  now." 

"  I  pity  you  then,  Mr.  Fogg,  for  solitude  is  a  sad  thing. 
What!  have  you  not  one  heart  into  which  to  pour  your 
troubles?  They  say,  however,  that  with  two  misery  itself 
is  bearable? 

"They  say  so,  madame." 


it 


336     ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

"  Mr.  Fogg,"  then  said  Aouda,  rising  and  holding  out  her 
hand  to  the  gentleman,  "  do  you  wish  at  once  a  relative  and  a 
friend?     Will  you  have  me  for  your  wife?  " 

Mr.  Fogg,  at  this,  rose  in  his  turn.  There  seemed  to  be 
an  unusual  reflection  in  his  eyes,  a  trembling  of  his  lips. 
Aouda  looked  at  him.  The  sincerity,  rectitude,  firmness, 
and  sweetness  of  this  soft  look  of  a  noble  woman,  who 
dared  everything  to  save  him  to  whom  she  owed  everything, 
first  astonished  him,  then  penetrated  him.  He  closed  his 
eyes  for  an  instant,  as  if  to  prevent  this  look  from  pene- 
trating deeper.  When  he  opened  them  again,  he  simply 
said,  "  I  love  you.  Yes,  in  truth,  by  everything  most  sacred 
in  the  world,  I  love  you,  and  I  am  entirely  yours !  " 

"  Ah,"  cried  Aouda,  pressing  his  hand  to  her  heart. 

He  rang  for  Passepartout.  He  came  immediately.  Mr. 
Fogg  was  still  holding  Aouda's  hand  in  his.  Passepartout 
understood,  and  his  broad  face  shone  like  the  sun  in  the 
zenith  of  tropical  regions. 

Mr.  Fogg  asked  him  if  he  would  be  too  late  to  notify 
Rev.  Samuel  Wilson,  of  Mary-le-Bone  parish. 

Passepartout  gave  his  most  genial  smile. 

"  Never  to  late,"  he  said. 

It  was  then  five  minutes  after  eight. 

"  It  will  be  for  to-morrow,  Monday,"  he  said. 

"  For  to-morrow,  Monday  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg  looking  at 
the  young  woman. 

"  For  to-morrow,  Monday !  "  replied  Aouda. 

Passepartout  went  out,  running  as  hard  as  he  could. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

fogg'^  is  ag^ 

the  market 


IN   WHICH   "■  PHILEAS   FOGG "  IS  AGAIN   AT  A   PREMIUM   IN 


It  is  time  to  tell  here  what  a  change  of  opinion  was  pro- 
duced in  the  United  Kingdom  when  they  learned  of  the 
arrest  of  the  true  robber  of  the  bank,  a  certain  James  Strand, 
which  took  place  in  Edinburgh  on  the  17th  of  December. 

Three  days  before,  Phileas  Fogg  was  a  criminal  whom 
the  police  were  pursuing  to  the  utmost,  and  now  he  was  the 
most  honest  gentleman,  accomplishing  mathematically  his 
eccentric  tour  around  the  world. 

V.  VII  Verne 


t( 


PHILEAS   FOGG"   AT   A   PREMIUM      337 


What  an  effect,  what  an  excitement  in  the  papers !  All 
the  betters  for  or  against,  who  had  already  forgotten  this 
affair,  revived  as  if  by  magic.  All  the  transactions  became 
of  value.  All  the  engagements  were  renewed,  and  it  must 
be  said  that  betting  was  resumed  with  new  energy.  The 
name  of  Phileas  Fogg  was  again  at  a  premium  on  the 
market. 

The  five  colleagues  of  the  gentleman,  at  the  Reform  Club, 
passed  these  three  days  in  some  uneasiness.  Would  this 
Phileas  Fogg,  whom  they  had  forgotten,  reappear  before 
their  eyes?  Where  was  he  at  this  moment?  On  the  17th 
of  December — the  day  that  James  Strand  was  arrested — it 
was  seventy-six  days  since  Phileas  Fogg  started,  and  no 
news  from  him!  Was  he  dead.?  Had  he  given  up  the  ef- 
fort, or  was  he  continuing  his  course  as  agreed  upon?  And 
would  he  appear  on  Saturday,  the  2ist  of  December,  at  a 
quarter  before  nine  in  the  evening,  the  very  impersonation 
of  exactness,  on  the  threshold  of  the  saloon  of  the  Reform 
Club? 

We  must  give  up  the  effort  to  depict  the  anxiety  in  whichi 
for  three  days  all  of  London  society  lived.  They  sent  dis- 
patches to  America,  to  Asia,  to  get  news  of  Phileas  Fogg. 
They  sent  morning  and  evening  to  watch  the  house  in  Saville 
Row.  Nothing  there.  The  police  themselves  did  not  know 
what  had  become  of  the  detective  Fix,  who  had  so  unfortun- 
ately thrown  himself  on  a  false  scent.  This  did  not  prevent 
bets  from  being  entered  into  anew  on  a  larger  scale.  Phileas 
Fogg,  like  a  race-horse,  was  coming  to  the  last  turn.  He 
was  quoted  no  longer  at  one  hundred,  but  at  twenty,  ten, 
five;  and  the  old  paralytic  Lord  Albemarle  bet  even  in  his 
favor. 

So  that  on  Saturday  evening  there  was  a  crowd  in  Pall 
Mall  and  in  the  neighboring  streets.  It  might  have  been 
supposed  that  there  was  an  immense  crowd  of  brokers  per- 
manently established  around  the  Reform  Club.  Circulation 
was  impeded.  They  discussed,  disputed,  and  cried  the 
prices  of  "  Phileas  Fogg,"  like  they  did  those  of  English 
Consols.  The  policemen  had  much  difficulty  in  keeping  the 
crowd  back,  and  in  proportion  as  the  hour  approached  at 
which  Phileas  Fogg  ought  to  arrive,  the  excitement  took  in- 
credible proportions. 

This  evening,  the  five  colleagues  of  the  gentleman  were 


338      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS 

assembled  in  the  grand  saloon  of  the  Reform  Club.  The 
two  bankers,  John  Sullivan  and  Samuel  Fallentin,  the  engi- 
neer Andrew  Stuart,  Gauthier  Ralph,  the  directors  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  and  the  brewer,  Thomas  Flanagan,  all 
iwaited  with  anxiety. 

At  the  moment  that  the  clock  in  the  grand  saloon  indi- 
cated twenty-five  minutes  past  eight,  Andrew  Stuart,  rising, 
said  : 

"  Gentleman,  in  twenty  minutes  the  time  agreed  upon  be- 
tween Mr.  Phileas  Fogg  and  ourselves  will  have  expired." 

"At  what  hour  did  the  last  train  arrive  from  Liver- 
pool ?  "  asked  Thomas  Flanagan. 

"  At  twenty-three  minutes  after  seven,"  replied  Gauthier 
Ralph,  "  and  the  next  train  does  not  arrive  until  ten  min- 
utes after  twelve,  midnight." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  continued  Andrew  Stuart,  "  if 
Phileas  Fogg  had  arrived  in  the  train  at  twenty-three  min- 
utes after  seven,  he  would  already  be  here.  We  can  then 
consider  we  have  won  the  bet." 

"  Let  us  wait  before  deciding,"  replied  Samuel  Fallentin. 
"  You  know  that  our  colleague  is  an  oddity  of  the  first  order. 
His  exactness  in  everything  is  well  known.  He  never  ar- 
rives too  late  or  too  soon,  and  he  will  appear  here  at  the 
very  last  minute,  or  I  shall  be  ver}'-  much  surprised." 

"And  I,"  said  Andrew  Stewart,  who  was,  as  always, 
very  nervous,  "  would  not  believe  it  was  he  even  if  I  saw 
him." 

"  In  fact,"  replied  Thomas  Flanagan,  "  Phileas  Fogg's 
project  was  a  senseless  one.  However  exact  he  might  be, 
he  could  not  prevent  the  occurrence  of  inevitable  delays,  and 
a  delay  of  but  two  or  three  days  would  be  sufficient  to  com- 
promise the  tour." 

"  You  will  notice  besides,"  added  John  Sullivan,  "  that 
we  have  received  no  news  from  our  colleague,  and  yet  tele- 
graph lines  were  not  wanting  upon  his  route." 

"  Gentlemen,  he  has  lost,"  replied  Andrew  Stuart,  "  he 
has  lost  a  hundred  times!  You  know,  besides,  that  the 
China — the  only  steamer  from  New  York  that  he  could 
take  for  Liverpool  to  be  of  any  use  to  him — arrived  yes- 
terday. Now,  here  is  the  list  of  passengers,  published  by 
the  Shipping  Gazette,  and  the  name  of  Phileas  Fogg  is  not 
among  them.     Admitting  the  most  favorable  chances,  our 


"PHILEAS   FOGG"   AT   'A   PREMIUM     339 

colleague  has  scarcely  reached  America !  I  calculate  twenty- 
days,  at  least,  as  the  time  that  he  will  be  behind,  and  old 
Lord  Albermarle  will  be  minus  his  five  thousand  pounds ! " 

"  It  is  evident,"  replied  Gauthier  Ralph,  "  and  to-mor- 
row we  have  only  to  present  to  Baring  Brothers  Mr.  Fogg's 
check." 

At  this  moment,  the  clock  in  the  saloon  struck  forty  min- 
utes after  eight. 

"  Five  minutes  yet,"  said  Andrew  Stuart. 

The  five  colleagues  looked  at  each  other.  It  may  be  be- 
lieved that  their  hearts  beat  a  little  more  rapidly,  for,  even 
for  good  players,  it  was  a  great  risk.  But  they  did  not 
betray  themselves,  for  at  Samuel  Fallentin's  suggestion, 
they  seated  themselves  at  a  card  table. 

"  I  would  not  give  my  part  of  four  thousand  pounds  in 
the  bet,"  said  Andrew  Stuart,  seating  himself,  "  even  if  I 
iwas  offered  three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine !  " 

At  this  moment  the  hands  noted  forty-two  minutes  after 
eight. 

The  players  took  up  their  cards,  but  their  eyes  were  con- 
stantly fixed  upon  the  clock.  It  may  be  asserted  that,  not- 
withstanding their  security,  the  minutes  had  never  seemed 
so  long  to  them ! 

"  Forty-three  minutes  after  eight,"  said  Thomas  Flana- 
gan, cutting  the  cards  which  Gauthier  Ralph  presented  to 
him. 

Then  there  was  a  moment's  silence.  The  immense  saloon 
of  the  club  was  quiet.  But  outside  they  heard  the  hubbub 
of  the  crowd,  above  which  were  sometimes  heard  loud  cries. 
The  pendulum  of  the  clock  was  beating  the  seconds  with 
mathematical  regularity,  and  every  player  could  count  them 
as  they  struck  his  ear. 

"  Forty-four  minutes  after  eight,"  said  John  Sullivan  In 
a  voice  in  which  was  heard  an  involuntary  emotion. 

One  more  minute  and  the  bet  would  be  won.  Andrew 
Stuart  and  his  colleagues  played  no  longer.  They  had 
abandoned  their  cards!  They  were  eagerly  counting  the 
seconds ! 

At  the  fortieth  second,  nothing.  At  the  fiftieth  still 
nothing ! 

At  the  fifty-fifth,  there  was  a  roaring  like  that  of  thunder 
outside,  shouts,  hurrahs,  and  even  curses  kept  up  in  one 


340      ROUND    THE   WORLD    IN    EIGHTY   DAYS" 

The  players  rose. 

At  the  fifty-seventh  second,  the  door  of  the  saloon  opened, 
and  the  pendulum  had  not  beat  the  sixtieth  second,  when 
Phileas  Fogg  appeared,  followed  by  an  excited  crowd,  who 
had  forced  an  entrance  into  the  club,  and  in  his  calm  voice, 
he  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  here  I  am! " 


CHAPTER    XXXVII 

IN    WHICH   IT  IS   PROVED  THAT   PHILEAS   FOGG   HAS   GAINED 

NOTHING  BY  MAKING  THIS  TOUR  OF  THE  WORLD 

UNLESS  IT   BE  HAPPINESS 

Yes  !  Phileas  Fogg  in  person. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  at  five  minutes  after  eight 
in  the  evening,  about  twenty-five  hours  after  the  ar- 
rival of  the  travelers  in  London,  Passepartout  was  charged 
by  his  master  to  inform  Rev.  Samuel  Wilson  in  reference 
to  a  certain  marriage  which  was  to  take  place  the  next  day. 

Passepartout  went,  delighted.  He  repaired  with  rapid 
steps  to  the  residence  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wilson,  who  had  not 
come  home.  Of  course  Passepartout  waited,  but  he  waited 
full  twenty  minutes  at  least. 

In  short,  it  was  thirty-five  minutes  past  eight  when  he 
left  the  clergyman's  house.  But  in  what  a  condition!  His 
hair  disordered,  hatless,  running,  running  as  has  never  been 
seen  in  the  memory  of  man,  upsetting  passers-by,  rushing 
along  the  sidewalks  like  a  water-spout. 

In  three  minutes,  he  had  returned  to  the  house  in  Saville 
Row,  and  fell,  out  of  breath,  in  Mr.  Fogg's  room. 

He  could  not  speak. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  asked  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  Master  " — stammered  Passepartout — "  Marriage — im- 
possible! " 

"Impossible?" 

"  Impossible — to-morrow." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  to-morrow  is — Sunday!" 

"  Monday,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg. 

"  No— to-day— Saturday." 

"  Saturday  ?     Impossible !  " 


FOGG   HAS   GAINED    NOTHING  341 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes,  yes !  "  cried  Passepartout.  "  You  have 
made  a  mistake  of  one  day.  We  arrived  twenty-four  hours 
in  advance — but  there  are  not  ten  minutes  left! " 

Passepartout  seized  his  master  by  the  collar,  and  dragged 
him  along  with  irresistible  force! 

Phileas  Fogg,  thus  taken,  without  having  time  to  reflect, 
left  his  room,  went  out  of  his  house,  jumped  into  a  cab, 
promised  one  hundred  pounds  to  the  driver,  and,  after  run- 
ning over  two  dogs  and  running  into  five  carriages,  arrived 
at  the  Reform  Club.  The  clock  indicated  quarter  of  nine, 
when  he  appeared  in  the  grand  saloon. 

Phileas  Fogg  had  accomplished  this  tour  of  the  world  in 
eighty  days ! 

Phileas  Fogg  had  won  his  bet  of  twenty  thousand  pounds ! 

And  now,  how  could  so  exact  and  cautious  a  man  have 
made  this  mistake  of  a  day?  How  did  he  think  that  it  was 
the  evening  of  Saturday,  December  21,  when  it  was  only 
Friday,  December  20,  only  seventy-nine  days  after  his  de- 
parture. 

This  is  the  reason  for  this  mistake.     It  is  very  simple. 

Phileas  Fogg  had,  without  suspecting  it,  gained  a  day  on 
his  journey — only  because  he  had  made  the  tour  of  the 
world  going  to  the  east,  and  on  the  contrary  he  would  have 
lost  a  day  going  in  the  contrary  direction,  that  is,  towards 
the  west. 

Indeed,  journeying  towards  the  east  Phileas  Fogg  was  go- 
ing towards  the  sun,  and  consequently  the  days  became  as 
many  times  four  minutes  less  for  him,  as  he  crossed  degrees 
in  that  direction.  Now  there  are  three  hundred  and  sixty  de- 
grees to  the  earth's  circumference,  and  these  three  hundred 
and  sixty  degrees,  multiplied  by  four  minutes,  give  precisely 
twenty-four  hours — that  is  to  say,  the  day  unconsciously 
gained.  In  other  words,  while  Phileas  Fogg,  traveling  to- 
wards the  east,  saw  the  sun  pass  the  meridian  eighty  times, 
his  colleagues,  remaining  in  London,  saw  it  pass  only 
seventy-nine  times.  Therefore  this  very  day,  which  was 
Saturday,  and  not  Sunday,  as  Mr.  Fogg  thought,  his  friends 
were  waiting  for  him  in  the  saloon  of  the  Reform  Club. 

And  Passepartout's  famous  watch,  which  had  always 
kept  London  time,  would  have  shown  this,  if  it  had  indi- 
cated the  days,  as  well  as  the  minutes  and  hours ! 

Phileas  Fogg  then  had  won  the  twenty  thousand  pounds. 


342      ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   EIGHTY   DAYS 

But  as  he  had  spent  in  his  journey  about  nineteen  thousand, 
the  pecuniary  result  was  small.  However,  as  has  been  said, 
the  eccentric  gentleman  had  sought  in  his  bet  to  gain  the 
victory,  and  not  to  make  money.  And  even  the  thousand 
pounds  remaining  he  divided  between  Passepartout  and  the 
unfortunate  Fix,  against  whom  he  could  not  cherish  a 
grudge.  Only  for  the  sake  of  exactness,  he  retained  from 
his  servant  the  cost  of  the  gas  burned  through  his  fault  for 
nineteen  hundred  and  twenty  hours. 

This  very  evening  Mr.  Fogg,  as  impassible  and  as 
phlegmatic  as  ever,  said  to  Aouda : 

"  This  marriage  is  still  agreeable  to  you?  " 

"  Mr.  Fogg,"  replied  Aouda  ,"  it  is  for  me  to  ask  you 
that  question.    You  were  ruined;  now  you  are  rich " 

"Pardon  me,  madam;  my  fortune  belongs  to  you.  If 
you  had  not  thought  of  the  marriage,  my  servant  would  not 
have  gone  to  the  house  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wilson.  I  would 
not  have  been  apprised  of  my  mistake,  and " 

"  Dear  Mr.  Fogg "  said  the  young  woman. 

"  Dear  Aouda,"  replied  Phileas  Fogg. 

It  is  readily  understood  that  the  marriage  took  place 
forty-eight  hours  later,  and  Passepartout,  superb,  resplend- 
ent, dazzling,  was  present  as  the  young  woman's  witness. 
Had  he  not  saved  her,  and  did  they  not  owe  him  that 
honor? 

At  daylight  the  next  morning.  Passepartout  knocked 
noisily  at  his  master's  door. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  Impassible  gentleman  appeared. 

"What  is  the  matter.  Passepartout?" 

"What's  the  matter,  sir!  I  have  just  found  out  this 
moment " 

"What?" 

"  That  we  could  make  the  tour  of  the  world  in  seventy- 
eight  days." 

"  Doubtless,"  replied  Mr.  Fogg,  "  by  not  crossing  India." 
But  if  I  had  not  crossed  India,  I  would  not  have  saved 
Aouda,  she  would  not  be  my  wife,  and " 

And  Mr.  Fogg  quietly  shut  the  door. 

Thus  Phileas  Fogg  won  his  bet.  In  eighty  days  he  had 
accomplished  the  tour  around  the  world!  To  do  this  he 
had  employed  every  means  of  conveyance,  steamers,  rail- 
ways, carriages,  yachts,  merchant  vessels,  sledges,  elephants. 


FOGG   HAS   GAINED   NOTHING  343 

The  eccentric  gentleman  had  displayed  in  this  affair  his 
wonderful  qualities  of  coolness  and  exactness. 

But  what  then?  What  had  he  gained  by  leaving  home? 
what  had  be  brought  back  from  his  journey? 

Nothing,  do  you  say  ?  Nothing,  perhaps,  but  a  charming 
woman,  who — improbable  as  it  may  appear — made  him  the 
happiest  of  men ! 

Truly,  would  you  not,  for  less  than  that,  make  the  tour 
of  the  world? 

THE  END 


Dr.  Ox's  Experiment 


Dr.  Ox's  Experiment 

CHAPTER   I 

How  it  is  Useless  to  Seek,  even  on  the  best  maps,  for  the 

small  town  of  Qidquendone 

F  you  try  to  find,  on  any  map  of  Flanders, 
ancient  or  modern,  the  small  town  of  Quiquen- 
done,  probably  you  will  not  succeed.  Is 
Quiquendone,  then,  one  of  those  towns  which 
have  disappeared?  No.  A  town  of  the 
future?  By  no  means.  It  exists  in  spite  of 
geographies,  and  has  done  so  for  some  eight  or  nine  hun- 
dred years.  It  even  numbers  two  thousand  three  hundred 
and  ninety-three  souls,  allowing  one  soul  to  each  inhabitant. 
It  is  situated  thirteen  and  a  half  kilometers  northwest  of 
Oudenarde,  and  fifteen  and  a  quarter  kilometers  southeast 
of  Bruges,  in  the  heart  of  Flanders.  The  Vaar,  a  small 
tributary  of  the  Scheldt,  passes  beneath  its  three  bridges, 
which  are  still  covered  with  a  quaint  mediaeval  roof,  like 
that  at  Tournay.  An  old  chateau  is  to  be  seen  there,  the 
first  stone  of  which  was  laid  so  long  ago  as  1197,  by  Count 
Baldwin,  afterwards  Emperor  of  Constantinople;  and  there 
is  a  Town  Hall,  with  Gothic  windows,  crowned  by  a  chaplet 
of  battlements,  and  surmounted  by  a  turreted  belfry,  which 
rises  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet  above  the  soil. 
Every  hour  you  may  hear  there  a  chime  of  five  octaves,  a 
veritable  aerial  piano,  the  renown  of  which  surpasses  that 
of  the  famous  chimes  of  Bruges.  Strangers — if  any  ever 
come  to  Quiquendone — do  not  quit  the  curious  old  town  un- 
til they  have  visited  its  "  Stadtholder's  Hall,"  adorned  by  a 
full-length  portrait  of  William  of  Nassau,  by  Brandon;  the 
loft  of  the  Church  of  Saint  Magloire,  a  masterpiece  of  six- 
teenth century  architecture ;  the  cast-iron  well  in  the  spacious 
Place  Saint  Ernuph,  the  admirable  ornamentation  of  which  is 
attributed  to  the  artist-blacksmith,  Quentin  Matsys ;  the  tomb 
formerly  erected  to  Mary  of  Burgundy,  daughter  of 
Charles  the  Bold,  who  now  reposes  in  the  Church  of  Notre 
Dame  at  Bruges;  and  so  on.  The  principal  industry  of 
Quiquendone  is  the  manufacture  of  whipped  creams  and 
barley-sugar  on  a  large  scale.     It  has  been  governed  by  the 

347 


348  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

Van  Tricasses,  from  father  to  son,  for  several  centuries. 
And  yet  Quiquendone  is  not  on  the  map  of  Flanders !  Have 
the  geographers  forgotten  it,  or  is  it  an  intentional  omis- 
sion? That  I  cannot  tell;  but  Quiquendone  really  exists, 
with  Its  narrow  streets,  its  fortified  walls,  its  Spanish-looking 
houses,  its  market,  and  its  burgomaster — so  much  so,  that  it 
has  recently  been  the  theater  of  phenomena  as  incredible  as 
they  are  true,  which  are  to  be  recounted  in  the  present  narra- 
tion. 

Surly  there  is  nothing  to  'be  said  or  thought  against  the 
Flemings  of  Western  Flanders.  They  are  a  well-to-do 
folk,  wise,  prudent,  sociable,  with  even  tempers,  hospitable, 
perhaps  a  little  heavy  in  conversation  as  in  mind;  but  this 
does  not  explain  why  one  of  the  most  interesting  towns  of 
their  district  has  yet  to  appear  on  modern  maps. 

This  omission  is  certainly  to  be  regretted.  If  only  his- 
tory, or  in  default  of  history  the  chronicles,  or  in  default 
of  chronicles  the  traditions  of  the  country,  made  mention  of 
Quiquendone!  But  no;  neither  atlases,  guides,  nor 
itineraries  speak  of  it.  M.  Joanne  himself,  that  energetic 
hunter  after  small  towns,  says  not  a  word  of  it.  It  might 
be  readily  conceived  that  this  silence  would  injure  the  com- 
merce, the  industries  of  the  town.  But  let  us  hasten  to  add 
Quiquendone  has  neither  industry  nor  commerce,  and  that 
it  does  very  well  without  them.  Its  barley-sugar  and 
whipped  cream  are  consumed  on  the  spot ;  none  is  exported. 
In  short,  the  Quiquendonians  have  no  need  of  anybody. 
Their  desires  are  limited,  their  existence  is  a  modest  one; 
they  are  calm,  moderate,  phlegmatic — in  a  word,  they  are 
Flemings;  such  as  are  still  to  be  met  with  sometimes  be- 
tween the  Scheldt  and  the  North  Sea. 


CHAPTER    II 

In  which  the  Burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  and  the  Counselor 

Niklausse  consult  about  the  affairs  of  the  Town 

"You  think  so?"  asked  the  burgomaster. 
"I — think  so,"  replied  the  counselor,  after  some  minutes 
of  silence. 

"  You  see,  we  must  not  act  hastily,"  resumed  the  burgo- 
master. 


THE   AFFAIRS    OF   THE   TOWN  349 

"  We  have  been  talking  over  this  grave  matter  for  ten 
years,"  replied  the  Counselor  Niklausse,  "  and  I  confess  to 
you,  my  worthy  Van  Tricasse,  that  I  cannot  yet  take  it  upon 
myself  to  come  to  a  decision." 

"  I  quite  understand  your  hesitation,"  said  the  burgomas- 
ter, who  did  not  speak  until  after  a  good  quarter  of  an  hour 
of  reflection,  "  I  quite  understand  it,  and  I  fully  share  it. 
We  shall  do  wisely  to  decide  upon  nothing  without  a  more 
careful  examination  of  the  question. 

"  It  is  certain,"  replied  Niklausse,  "  that  this  post  of  civil 
commissary  is  useless  in  so  peaceful  a  town  as  Quiquen- 
done." 

"  Our  predecessor,"  said  Van  Tricasse  gravely,  "  our  pre- 
decessor never  said,  never  would  have  dared  to  say,  that 
anything  is  certain.  Every  affirmation  is  subject  to  awk- 
ward qualifications." 

The  counselor  nodded  his  head  slowly  in  token  of  assent; 
then  he  remained  silent  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  After 
this  lapse  of  time,  during  which  neither  the  counselor  nor 
the  burgomaster  moved  so  much  as  a  finger,  Niklausse  asked 
Van  Tricasse  whether  his  predecessor — of  some  twenty 
years  before — had  not  thought  of  suppressing  this  office  of 
civil  commissary,  which  each  year  cost  the  town  of  Qui- 
quendone  the  sum  of  thirteen  hundred  and  seventy-five 
francs  and  some  centimes. 

"  I  believe  he  did,"  replied  the  burgomaster,  carrying  his 
hand  with  majestic  deliberation  to  his  ample  brow;  " but  the 
worthy  man  died  without  having  dared  to  make  up  his 
mind,  either  as  to  this  or  any  other  administrative  measure. 
He  was  a  sage.     Why  should  I  not  do  as  he  did?  " 

Counselor  Niklausse  was  incapable  of  originating  any  ob- 
jection to  the  burgomaster's  opinion. 

The  man  who  dies,"   added  Van  Tricasse  solemnly, 

without  ever  having  decided  upon  anything  during  his 
life,  has  very  nearly  attained  to  perfection." 

This  said,  the  burgomaster  pressed  a  bell  with  the  end  of 
his  little  finger,  which  gave  forth  a  mufiled  sound,  which 
seemed  less  a  sound  than  a  sigh.  Presently  some  light  steps 
glided  softly  across  the  tiled  floor.  A  mouse  would  not 
have  made  less  noise,  running  over  a  thick  carpet.  The 
•door  of  the  room  opened,  turning  on  its  well-oiled  hinges. 
A  young  girl,  with  long  blonde  tresses,  made  her  appear- 


tc 


350  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

ance.  It  was  Suzel  Van  Tricasse,  the  burgomaster's  only 
daughter.  She  handed  her  father  a  pipe,  filled  to  the  brim, 
and  a  small  copper  brazier,  spoke  not  a  word,  and  disap- 
peared at  once,  making  no  more  noise  at  her  exit  than  at  her 
entrance. 

The  worthy  burgomaster  lighted  his  pipe,  and  was  soon 
hidden  in  a  cloud  of  bluish  smoke,  leaving  Counselor  Nik- 
lausse  plunged  in  the  most  absorbing  thought. 

The  room  in  which  these  two  notable  personages  charged 
with  the  government  of  Quiquendone,  were  talking,  was  a 
parlor  richly  adorned  with  carvings  in  dark  wood.  A  lofty 
fireplace,  in  which  an  oak  might  have  been  burned  or  an  ox 
roasted,  occupied  the  whole  of  one  of  the  sides  of  the  room; 
opposite  to  it  was  a  trellised  window,  the  painted  glass  of 
which  toned  down  the  brightness  of  the  sunbeams.  In  an 
antique  frame  above  the  chimney-piece  appeared  the  portrait 
of  some  worthy  man,  attributed  to  Memling,  which  no  doubt 
represented  an  ancestor  of  the  Van  Tricasse,  whose  authen- 
tic genealogy  dates  back  to  the  period  when  the  Flemings 
and  Guy  de  Dampierre  were  engaged  in  wars  with  the  Em- 
peror Rudolph  of  Hapsburgh. 

This  parlor  was  the  principal  apartment  of  the  burgo- 
master's house,  which  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  in  Qui- 
quendone. Built  in  the  Flemish  style,  with  all  the  abrupt- 
ness, quaintness,  and  picturesqueness  of  pointed  architec- 
ture, it  was  considered  one  of  the  most  curious  monuments 
of  the  town.  A  Carthusian  convent,  or  a  deaf  and  dumb 
asylum,  was  not  more  silent  than  this  mansion.  Noise  had 
no  existence  there ;  people  did  not  walk,  but  glided  about  in 
it;  they  did  not  speak,  they  murmured.  There  was  not, 
however,  any  lack  of  women  in  the  house,  which,  in  addition 
to  the  burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  himself,  sheltered  his  wife, 
Madame  Brigitte  Van  Tricasse,  his  daughter,  Suzel  Van 
Tricasse,  and  his  domestic,  Lotche  Jansheu.  We  may  also 
mention  the  burgomaster's  sister.  Aunt  Hermance,  an  elderly 
maiden  who  still  bore  the  nickname  of  Tatanemance.  which 
her  niece  Suzel  had  given  her  when  a  child.  But  in  spite 
of  all  these  elements  of  discord  and  noise,  the  burgomaster's 
house  was  as  calm  as  a  desert. 

The  burgom.aster  was  some  fifty  years  old,  neither  fat 
nor  lean,  neither  short  nor  tall,  neither  rubicund  nor  pale, 
neither  gay  nor  sad,  neither  contented  nor  discontented, 


THE   AFFAIRS    OF   THE   TOWN  351 

neither  energetic  nor  dull,  neither  proud  nor  humble,  neither 
good  nor  bad,  neither  generous  nor  miserly,  neither  cour- 
ageous nor  cowardly,  neither  too  much  nor  too  little  of  any- 
thing— a  man  notably  moderate  in  all  respects,  whose  invari- 
able slowness  of  motion,  slightly  hanging  lower  jaw,  promi- 
nent eyebrows,  massive  forehead,  smooth  as  a  copper  plate 
and  without  a  wrinkle,  would  at  once  have  betrayed  to  a 
physiognomist  that  the  burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  was 
phlegm  personified.  Never,  either  from  anger  or  passion, 
had  any  emotion  whatever  hastened  the  beating  of  this  man's 
heart,  or  flushed  his  face;  never  had  his  pupils  contracted 
under  the  influence  of  any  irritation,  however  ephemeral. 
He  invariably  wore  good  clothes,  neither  too  large  nor  too 
small,  which  he  never  seemed  to  wear  out.  He  was  shod 
with  large  square  shoes  with  triple  soles  and  silver  buckles, 
which  lasted  so  long  that  his  shoemaker  was  in  despair. 
Upon  his  head  he  wore  a  large  hat  which  dated  from  the 
period  when  Flanders  was  separated  from  Holland,  so  that 
this  venerable  masterpiece  was  at  least  forty  years  old. 
But  what  would  you  have?  It  is  the  passions  which  wear 
out  body  as  well  as  soul,  the  clothes  as  well  as  the  body; 
and  our  worthy  burgomaster,  apathetic,  indolent,  indifferent, 
was  passionate  in  nothing.  He  wore  nothing  out,  not  even 
himself,  and  he  considered  himself  the  very  man  to  admin- 
ister the  affairs  of  Quiquendone  and  its  tranquil  population. 

The  town,  indeed,  was  not  less  calm  than  the  Van  Tri- 
casse mansion.  It  was  in  this  peaceful  dwelling  that  the 
burgomaster  reckoned  on  attaining  the  utmost  limit  of 
human  existence,  after  having,  however,  seen  the  good 
Madame  Brigitte  Van  Tricasse,  his  wife,  precede  him  to 
the  tomb,  where,  surely,  she  would  not  find  a  more  pro- 
found repose  than  that  she  had  enjoyed  on  earth  for  sixty 
years. 

This  demands  explanation. 

The  Van  Tricasse  family  might  well  call  itself  the  "  Jean- 
not  family."     This  is  why: 

Everyone  knows  that  the  knife  of  this  typical  personage 
is  as  celebrated  as  its  proprietor,  and  not  less  incapable  of 
wearing  out,  thanks  to  the  double  operation,  incessantly  re- 
peated, of  replacing  the  handle  when  it  is  worn  out,  and  the 
blade  when  it  becomes  worthless.  A  precisely  similar 
operation  had  been  going  on  from  time  immemorial  in  the 


\ 


352  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

Van  Tricasse  family,  to  which  Nature  had  lent  herself  with 
more  than  usual  complacency.  From  1340  it  had  invari- 
ably happened  that  a  Van  Tricasse,  when  left  a  widower, 
had  remarried  a  Van  Tricasse  younger  than  himself,  who, 
becoming  in  turn  a  widow,  had  married  again  a  Van  Tri- 
casse younger  than  herself;  and  so  on,  without  a  break  in 
the  continuity,  from  generation  to  generation.  Each  died 
in  his  or  her  turn  with  mechanical  regularity.  Thus  the 
worthy  Madame  Brigitte  Van  Tricasse  had  now  her  second 
husband;  and,  unless  she  violated  her  every  duty,  would 
precede  her  spouse — he  being  ten  years  younger  than  her- 
self— to  the  other  world,  to  make  room  for  a  new  Madame 
Van  Tricasse.  Upon  this  the  burgomaster  calmly  counted, 
that  the  family  tradition  might  not  be  broken.  Such  was 
this  mansion,  peaceful  and  silent,  of  which  the  doors  never 
creaked,  the  windows  never  rattled,  the  floors  never 
groaned,  the  chimneys  never  roared,  the  weathercocks  never 
grated,  the  furniture  never  squeaked,  the  locks  never 
clanked,  and  the  occupants  never  made  more  noise  than  their 
shadows.  The  god  Harpocrates  would  certainly  have 
chosen  it  for  the  Temple  of  Silence. 


CHAPTER    III 
In  which  the  Commissary  Passauf  enters  as  Noisily  as 

Unexpectedly 

When  the  interesting  conversation  which  has  been  nar- 
rated began,  it  was  a  quarter  before  three  in  the  afternoon. 
It  was  at  a  quarter  before  four  that  Van  Tricasse  lighted 
his  enormous  pipe,  which  could  hold  a  quart  of  tobacco,  and 
it  was  at  thirty-five  minutes  past  five  that  he  finished  smok- 
ing it. 

All  this  time  the  two  comrades  did  not  exchange  a  single 
word. 

About  six  o'clock  the  counselor,  who  had  a  habit  of  speak- 
ing in  a  very  summary  manner,  resumed  in  these  words : 

"  So  we  decide " 

"  To  decide  nothing,"  replied  the  burgomaster. 

"  I  think,  on  the  whole,  that  you  are  right,  Van  Tricasse." 

"  I  think  so  too,  Niklausse.  We  will  take  steps  with  ref- 
erence to  the  civil  commissary  when  we  have  more  light  on 

V.  VII  Verne 


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flis?.')t  \itio  -jdJ  aitJY/   erixj.i:  jflxiila  ba£  R9ri-))BiJ?.' v^  ■  on   '    ■  '^ 

.-till  inoi^  noftfil  JoirbBfl  ,t!  -ivcfl  bluow  tJonRr(')  »,«  ,ii!  Vnoo  srfT 

n9riJ-!u)    iijodim   bsqjsiga  bus  .bsgnb.   f»mui  i             'iul    ,>aii.  eidJ  ,t)5iorf 


.T  .iov 


hoii.t  a  bt 

-•    Ihas  i. 
V  her  - 

a  new  Madame 
calmly  counted, 


THE  OXYGEN  EXPLOSION. 


'!  -■?  lie  Vet 


A  formidable  explosion  resounded.  *  •  *  The  whole  armj  of 
Quiquendone  fell  to  the  earth,  like  an  army  of  monks.  Happily  there 
were  no  victims;  a  few  scratches  and  slight  hurts  were  the  only  result. 
The  confectioner,  who,  as  chance  would  have  it,  had  not  fallen  from  his 
horse  this  time,  had  his  plume  singed,  and  escaped  without  further 
injury. — Page  398. 


1  nar- 
rnoon. 


Vol.  7. 


a- 

on 


COMMISSARY   PASSAUF   ENTERS        353 

the  subject — later  on.     There  is  no  need  for  a  month  yet." 

"  Nor  even  for  a  year,"  rephed  Niklausse,  unfolding  his 
pocket-handkerchief  and  calmly  applying  it  to  his  nose. 

There  was  another  silence  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
Nothing  disturbed  this  repeated  pause  in  the  conversation, 
not  even  the  appearance  of  the  house-dog  Lento,  who,  not 
less  phlegmatic  than  his  master,  came  to  pay  his  respects  to 
the  parlor.  Noble  dog — a  model  for  his  race!  Had  he 
been  made  of  pasteboard,  with  wheels  on  his  paws,  he  would 
not  have  made  less  noise  during  his  stay. 

Towards  eight  o'clock,  after  Lotche  had  brought  the 
antique  lamp  of  polished  glass,  the  burgomaster  said  to  the 
counselor : 

"  We  have  no  other  urgent  matter  to  consider?  " 

"No,  Van  Tricasse;  none  that  I  know  of." 

"  Have  I  not  been  told,  though,"  asked  the  burgomaster, 
"  that  the  tower  of  the  Oudenarde  gate  is  likely  to  tumble 
down?" 

"  Ah !  "  replied  the  counselor ;  "  really,  I  should  not  be 
astonished  if  it  fell  on  some  passer-by  any  day." 

"  Oh !  before  such  a  misfortune  happens  I  hope  we  shall 
have  come  to  a  decision  on  the  subject  of  this  tower." 

"  I  hope  so.  Van  Tricasse." 

"  There  are  more  pressing  matters  to  decide." 

"No  doubt;  the  question  of  the  leather-market,  for  in- 
stance  " 

"What,  is  It  still  burning?" 

"  Still  burning,  and  has  been  for  the  last  three  weeks." 

"  Have  we  not  decided  in  council  to  let  it  burn?  " 

"  Yes,  Van  Tricasse — on  your  motion." 

"Was  not  that  the  surest  and  simplest  way  to  deal 
with  it." 

"  Without  doubt." 

"  Well,  let  us  wait.     Is  that  all?  " 

"  All,"  replied  the  counselor,  scratching  his  head,  as  if  to 
assure  himself  that  he  had  not  forgotten  anything  impor- 
tant. 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  the  burgomaster,  "  haven't  you  also 
heard  something  of  an  escape  of  water  which  threatens  to 
inundate  the  low  quarter  of  Saint  Jacques?  " 

"  I  have.  It  is  indeed  unfortunate  that  this  escape  of 
water  did  not  happen  above  the  leather-market!     It  would 


354  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

naturally  have  checked  the  fire,  and  would  thus  have  saved 
us  a  good  deal  of  discussion." 

"  What  can  you  expect,  Niklausse?  There  is  nothing  so 
illogical  as  accidents.  They  are  bound  by  no  rules,  and  we 
cannot  profit  by  one,  as  we  might  wish,  to  remedy  another." 

It  took  Van  Tricasse's  companion  some  time  to  digest 
this  fine  observation. 

"  Well,  but,"  resumed  the  Counselor  Niklausse,  after  the 
lapse  of  some  moments,  "  we  have  not  spoken  of  our  great 
affair!" 

"What  great  affair?  Have  we,  then,  a  great  affair?" 
said  the  burgomaster. 

"  No  doubt.     About  lighting  the  town." 

"Oh,  yes.  If  my  memory  serves  me,  you  are  referring 
to  the  lighting  plan  of  Doctor  Ox." 

"  Precisely." 

"  It  is  going  on,  Niklausse,"  replied  the  burgomaster. 
"  They  are  already  laying  the  pipes,  and  the  works  are  en- 
tirely completed." 

"  Perhaps  we  have  hurried  a  little  in  this  matter,"  said 
the  counselor,  shaking  his  head. 

"  Perhaps.  But  our  excuse  is,  that  Doctor  Ox  bears 
the  whole  expense  of  his  experiment.  It  will  not  cost  us 
a  sou." 

"  That,  true  enough,  is  our  excuse.  Moreover,  we  must 
advance  with  the  age.  If  the  experiment  succeeds,  Qui- 
quendone  will  be  the  first  town  in  Flanders  to  be  lighted' 
iwith  the  oxy What  is  the  gas  called?  " 

"  Oxyhydric  gas." 

"  Well,  oxyhydric  gas,  then." 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  Lotche  came  in  to 
tell  the  burgomaster  that  his  supper  was  ready. 

Counselor  Niklausse  rose  to  take  leave  of  Van  Tricasse, 
whose  appetite  had  been  stimulated  by  so  many  affairs  dis- 
cussed and  decisions  taken ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  the  coun- 
cil of  notables  should  be  convened  after  a  reasonably  long 
delay,  to  determine  whether  a  decision  should  be  provision- 
ally arrived  at  with  reference  to  the  really  urgent  matter  of 
the  Oudenarde  gate. 

The  two  worthy  administrators  then  directed  their  steps 
towards  the  street  door,  the  one  conducting  the  other.  The 
counselor,  having  reached  the  last  step,  lighted  a  little  Ian- 


COMMISSARY    PASSAUF    ENTERS         ^55 

tern  to  guide  him  through  the  obscure  streets  of  Quiquen- 
done,  which  Doctor  Ox  had  not  yet  Hghted.  It  was  a  dark 
October  night,  and  a  light  fog  overshadowed  the  town. 

Niklausse's  preparations  for  departure  consumed  at  least 
a  quarter  of  an  hour;  for  after  having  lighted  his  lantern, 
he  had  to  put  on  his  big  cow-skin  socks  and  his  sheep-skin 
gloves:  then  he  put  up  the  furred  collar  of  his  overcoat, 
turned  the  brim  of  his  felt  hat  down  over  his  eyes,  grasped 
his  heavy  crow-beaked  umbrella,  and  got  ready  to  start. 

When  Lotche,  however,  who  was  lighting  her  master, 
was  about  to  draw  the  bars  of  the  door,  an  unexpected  noise 
arose  outside. 

Yes !  Strange  as  the  thing  seems,  a  noise — a  real  noise, 
such  as  the  town  had  certainly  not  heard  since  the  taking  of 
the  donjon  by  the  Spaniards  in  15 13 — a  terrible  noise, 
awoke  the  long  dormant  echoes  of  the  venerable  Van  Tri- 
casse  mansion. 

Someone  knocked  heavily  upon  this  door,  hitherto  virgin 
to  brutal  touch?  Redoubled  knocks  were  given  with  some 
blunt  implement,  probably  a  knotty  stick,  wielded  by  al 
vigorous  arm.  With  the  strokes  were  mingled  cries  and 
calls.     These  words  were  distinctly  heard : 

"  Monsieur  Van  Tricasse !  Monsieur  the  burgomaster ! 
Open,  open  quickly !  " 

The  burgomaster  and  the  counselor,  absolutely  astounded, 
looked  at  each  other  speechless. 

This  passed  their  comprehension.  If  the  old  culverin  of 
the  chateau,  which  had  not  been  used  since  1385,  had  been 
let  off  in  the  parlor,  the  dwellers  in  the  Van  Tricasse  man- 
sion would  not  have  been  more  dumbfounded. 

Meanwhile,  the  blows  and  cries  were  redoubled.  Lotche, 
recovering  her  coolness,  had  plucked  up  enough  courage  to 
speak. 

"Who  is  there?" 

"ItisI!     I!     I!" 

"Who  are  you?" 

"The  Commissary  Passauf!" 

The  Commissary  Passauf!  The  very  man  whose  office 
it  had  been  contemplated  to  suppress  for  ten  years.  What 
had  happened,  then  ?  Could  the  Burgundians  have  invaded 
Quiquendone,  as  they  did  in  the  fourteenth  century?  Np 
event  of  less  importance  could  have  so  moved  Commissary 


3S6  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

Passauf,  who  in  no  degree  yielded  the  palm  to  the  burgo- 
master himself  for  calmness  and  phlegm. 

On  a  sign  from  Van  Tricasse — for  the  worthy  man  could 
not  have  articulated  a  syllable — the  bar  was  pushed  back, 
and  the  door  opened. 

Commissary  Passauf  flung  himself  into  the  antechamber. 
One  would  have  thought  there  was  a  hurricane. 

"What's  the  matter,  Monsieur  the  Commissary?  "  asked 
Lotche,  a  brave  woman,  who  did  not  lose  her  head  under 
the  most  trying  circumstances. 

"  What's  the  matter !  "  replied  Passauf,  whose  big  round 
eyes  expressed  a  genuine  agitation.  "  The  matter  is  that 
I  have  just  come  from  Doctor  Ox's,  who  has  been  holding  a 
reception,  and  that  there " 

"There?" 

"There  I  have  witnessed  such  an  altercation  as — Mon- 
sieur the  burgomaster,  they  have  been  talking  politics !  " 

"  Politics ! "  repeated  Van  Tricasse,  running  his  fingers 
through  his  wig. 

"Politics!"  resumed  Commissary  Passauf,  "  which  has 
not  been  done  for  perhaps  a  hundred  years  at  Quiquen- 
done.  Then  the  discussion  got  warm,  and  the  advocate, 
Andre  Schut,  and  the  doctor,  Dominique  Custos,  became  so 
violent  that  it  may  be  they  will  call  each  other  out." 

"  Call  each  other  out !  "  cried  the  counselor.  "  A  duel ! 
A  duel  at  Quiquendone !  "  And  what  did  Advocate  Schut 
and  Doctor  Custos  say.?" 

"  Just  this :  '  Monsieur  advocate,'  said  the  doctor  to  his 
adversary,  *  you  go  too  far,  it  seems  to  me,  and  you  do  not 
take  sufficient  care  to  control  your  words ! '  " 

The  burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  clasped  his  hands — the 
counselor  turned  pale  and  let  his  lantern  fall — the  com- 
missary shook  his  head.  That  a  phrase  so  evidently  irritat- 
ing should  be  pronounced  by  two  of  the  principal  men  in  the 
country ! 

"  This  Doctor  Custos,"  muttered  Van  Tricasse,  "  is  de- 
cidedly a  dangerous  man — a  hare-brained  fellow!  Come, 
gentlemen ! " 

On  this,  Counselor  Niklausse  and  the  commissary  ac- 
companied the  burgomaster  into  the  parlor. 


CHAPTER  IV 

In  which  Doctor  Ox  reveals  Himself  as  a  Physiologist  of 

the  first  rank  and  as  an  Audacious  Experimentalist. 

Who  was  this  personage,  known  by  the  singular  name 
of  Doctor  Ox? 

An  original  character  for  certain,  but  at  the  same  time 
a  bold  savant,  a  physiologist,  whose  works  were  known  and: 
highly  estimated  throughout  learned  Europe,  a  happy  rival 
of  the  Davys,  the  Daltons,  the  Bostocks,  the  Menzies,  the 
Godwins,  the  Vierordts^ — of  all  those  noble  minds  who 
have  placed  physiology  among  the  highest  of  modern 
sciences. 

Doctor  Ox  was  a  man  of  medium  size  and  height,  aged 
■ — but  we  cannot  state  his  age,  any  more  than  his  nationality. 
Besides,  it  matters  little;  let  it  suffice  that  he  was  a  strange 
personage,  impetuous  and  hot-blooded,  a  regular  oddity  out 
of  one  of  Hoffmann's  volumes,  and  one  who  contrasted 
amusingly  enough  with  the  good  people  of  Quiquendone. 
He  had  an  imperturbable  confidence  both  in  himself  and  in 
his  doctrines.  Always  smiling,  walking  with  head  erect 
and  shoulders  thrown  back  in  a  free  and  unconstrained 
manner,  with  a  steady  gaze,  large  open  nostrils,  a  vast 
mouth  which  inhaled  the  air  in  liberal  draughts,  his  ap- 
pearance was  far  from  unpleasing.  He  was  full  of  anima- 
tion, well  proportioned  in  all  parts  of  his  bodily  mechanism, 
with  quicksilver  in  his  veins,  and  a  most  elastic  step.  He 
could  never  stop  still  in  one  place,  and  relieved  himself  with 
impetuous  words  and  a  superabundance  of  gesticulations. 

Was  Doctor  Ox  rich,  then,  that  he  should  undertake  to 
light  a  whole  town  at  his  expense?  Probably,  as  he  per- 
mitted himself  to  indulge  in  such  extravagance, — and  this 
is  the  only  answer  we  can  give  to  this  indiscreet  question. 

Doctor  Ox  had  arrived  at  Quiquendone  five  months  be- 
fore, accompanied  by  his  assistant,  who  answered  to  the 
name  of  Gedeon  Ygene ;  a  tall,  dried-up,  thin  man,  haughty, 
but  not  less  vivacious  than  his  master. 

And  next,  why  had  Doctor  Ox  made  the  proposition  to 
light  the  town  at  his  own  expense?  Why  had  he,  of  all 
the  Flemings,  selected  the  peaceable  Quiquendonians,  to 
■endow  their  town  with  the  benefits  of  an  unheard-of  sys- 
tem of  lighting?  Did  he  not,  under  this  pretext,  design 
to  make  some  great  physiological  experiment  by  operating 

157 


358  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

in  anima  vilif  In  short,  what  was  this  original  personage 
about  to  attempt?  We  know  not,  as  Doctor  Ox  had  no 
confidant  except  his  assistant  Ygene,  who,  moreover, 
obeyed  him  bhndly. 

In  appearance,  at  least.  Doctor  Ox  had  agreed  to  light 
the  town,  which  had  much  need  of  it,  "  especially  at  night," 
as  Commissary  Passauf  wittily  said.  Works  for  produc- 
ing a  lighting  gas  had  accordingly  been  established;  the 
gasometers  were  ready  for  use,  and  the  main  pipes,  run- 
ning beneath  the  street  pavements,  would  soon  appear  in 
the  form  of  burners  in  the  public  edifices  and  the  private 
houses  of  certain  friends  of  progress.  Van  Tricasse  and 
Niklausse,  in  their  official  capacity,  and  some  other  worthies, 
thought  they  ought  to  allow  this  modern  light  to  be  intro- 
duced into  their  dwellings. 

If  the  reader  has  not  forgotten,  it  was  said,  during  the 
long  conversation  of  the  counselor  and  the  burgomaster, 
that  the  lighting  of  the  town  was  to  be  achieved,  not  by 
the  combustion  of  common  carburetted  hydrogen,  produced 
by  distilling  coal,  but  by  the  use  of  a  more  modern  and 
twenty-fold  more  brilliant  gas,  oxyhydric  gas,  produced 
by  mixing  hydrogen  and  oxygen. 

The  doctor,  who  was  an  able  chemist  as  well  as  an  in- 
genious physiologist,  knew  how  to  obtain  this  gas  in  great 
quantity  and  of  good  quality,  not  by  using  manganate  of 
soda,  according  to  the  method  of  M.  Tessie  du  Motay,  but 
by  the  direct  decomposition  of  slightly  acidulated  water, 
by  means  of  a  battery  made  of  new  elements,  invented  by 
himself.  Thus  there  were  no  costly  materials,  no  platinum, 
no  retorts,  no  combustibles,  no  delicate  machinery  to  pro- 
duce the  two  gases  separately.  An  electric  current  was  sent 
through  large  basins  full  of  water,  and  the  liquid  was  de- 
composed into  its  two  constituent  parts,  oxygen  and  hy- 
drogen. The  oxygen  passed  off  at  one  end;  the  hydrogen, 
of  double  the  volume  of  its  late  associate,  at  the  other.  As 
•a  necessary  precaution,  they  were  collected  in  separate  reser- 
voirs, for  their  mixture  would  have  produced  a  frightful 
explosion  if  it  had  become  ignited.  Thence  the  pipes  were 
to  convey  them  separately  to  the  various  burners,  which 
would  be  so  placed  as  to  prevent  all  chance  of  explosion. 
Thus  a  remarkably  brilliant  flame  would  be  obtained,  whose 
light  would  rival  the  electric  light. 


DR.    OX    REVEALS    HIMSELF  359 

It  was  certain  tHat  the  town  of  Quiquendone  would,  by 
this  liberal  contrivance,  gain  a  splendid  lighting ;  but  Doctor 
Ox  and  his  assistant  took  little  account  of  this,  as  will  be 
seen  in  the  sequel. 

The  day  after  that  on  which  Commissary  Pas«auf  had 
made  his  noisy  entrance  into  the  burgomaster's  parlor, 
Gedeon  Ygene  and  Doctor  Ox  were  talking  in  the  labora- 
tory which  both  occupied  in  common,  on  the  ground-floor 
of  the  principal  building  of  the  gas-works. 

"  Well,  Ygene,  well,"  cried  the  doctor,  rubbing  his  hands, 
"  You  saw,  at  my  reception  yesterday,  the  cool-bloodedness 
of  these  worthy  Quiquendonians.  For  animation  they  are 
midway  between  sponges  and  coral!  You  saw  them  dis- 
puting and  irritating  each  other  by  voice  and  gesture? 
They  are  already  metamorphosed,  morally  and  physically! 
!And  this  is  only  the  beginning.  Wait  till  we  treat  them  to 
a  big  dose !  " 

"  Indeed,  master,"  replied  Ygene,  scratching  his  sharp 
nose  with  the  end  of  his  forefinger,  "  the  experiment  be- 
gins well,  and  if  I  had  not  prudently  closed  the  supply- 
tap,  I  know  not  what  would  have  happened." 

"  You  heard  Schut,  the  advocate,  and  Custos,  the  doc- 
tor? "  resumed  Doctor  Ox.  "  The  phrase  was  by  no  means 
ill-natured  in  itself,  but,  in  the  mouth  of  a  Ouiquendonian, 
it  is  worth  all  the  insults  which  the  Homeric  heroes  hurled 
at  each  other  before  drawing  their  swords.  Ah,  these 
Flemings!  You'll  see  what  we  shall  do  some  day!  " 
"  We  shall  make  them  ungrateful,"  replied  Ygene,  in  the 
tone  of  a  man  who  esteems  the  human  race  at  its  just 
worth. 

"  Bah!  "  said  the  doctor;  "  what  matters  it  whether  they 
think  well  or  ill  of  us,  so  long  as  our  experiment  suc- 
ceeds? " 

"  Besides,"  returned  the  assistant  smiling  with  a  mali- 
cious expression,  "  is  it  not  to  be  feared  that,  in  producing 
such  an  excitement  in  their  respiratory  organs,  we  shall 
somewhat  injure  the  lungs  of  these  good  people  of  Qui- 
quendone? " 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  them!  It  is  in  the  interests  of 
science.  What  would  you  say  if  the  dogs  or  frogs  re- 
fused to  lend  themselves  to  the  experiments  of  vivisec- 
tion?" 


36o  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

It  is  probable  that  if  the  frogs  and  dogs  were  consulted, 
they  would  offer  some  objection;  but  Doctor  Ox  imagined 
that  he  had  stated  an  unanswerable  argument,  for  he  heaved 
a  great  sigh  of  satisfaction. 

"After  all,  master,  you  are  right,"  replied  Ygene,  as  if 
quite  convinced.  "  We  could  not  have  hit  upon  better  sub- 
jects than  these  people  of  Quiquendone  for  our  experi- 
ment." 

"  We — could — not,"  said  the  doctor,  slowly  articulating 
each  word. 

''Have  you  felt  the  pulse  of  any  of  them?" 

"  Some  hundreds." 

"  And  what  is  the  average  pulsation  you  found  ?  " 

"  Not  fifty  per  minute.  See — this  is  a  town  where  there 
has  not  been  the  shadow  of  a  discussion  for  a  century, 
where  the  carmen  don't  swear,  where  the  coachmen  don't 
insult  each  other,  where  horses  don't  run  away,  where  the 
dogs  don't  bite,  where  the  cats  don't  scratch, — a  town  where 
the  police-court  has  nothing  to  do  from  one  year's  end 
to  another, — a  town  where  people  do  not  grow  enthusiastic 
about  anything,  neither  about  art  or  business — a  town 
where  the  gendarmes  are  a  sort  of  myth,  and  in  which  an 
indictment  has  not  been  drawn  up  for  a  hundred  years, 
— a  town,  in  short,  where  for  three  centuries  nobody  has 
struck  a  blow  with  his  fist  or  so  much  as  exchanged  a  slap 
in  the  face!  You  see,  Ygene,  that  this  cannot  last,  and 
that  we  must  change  it  all." 

^    "Perfectly!  perfectly!"  cried  the  enthusiastic  assistant; 
"  and  have  you  analyzed  the  air  of  this  town,  master?  " 

"  I  have  not  failed  to  do  so.  Seventy-nine  parts  of  azote 
and  twenty-one  of  oxygen,  carbonic  acid  and  steam  in  a 
variable  quantity.     These  are  the  ordinary  proportions." 

"Good,  doctor,  good!"  replied  Ygene.  "The  experi- 
ment will  be  made  on  a  large  scale,  and  will  be  decisive." 

"  And  if  it  is  decisive,"  added  Doctor  Ox  triumphantly, 
*'  we  shall  reform  the  world!  "• 


CHAPTER   V 

In  which  the  Burgomaster  and  the  Counselor  pay  a  visit 

to  Doctor  Ox,  and  what  follows 

The  Counselor  Niklausse  and  the  Burgomaster  Van 
Tricasse  at  last  knew  what  it  was  to  have  an  agitated  night. 
The  grave  event  which  had  taken  place  at  Doctor  Ox's 
house  actually  kept  them  awake.  What  consequences  was 
this  affair  destined  to  bring  about?  They  could  not 
imagine.  Would  it  be  necessary  for  them  to  come  to  a 
decision.'*  Would  the  municipal  authority,  whom  they 
represented,  be  compelled  to  interfere?  Would  they  be 
obliged  to  order  arrests  to  be  made,  that  so  great  a  scandal 
should  not  be  repeated?  All  these  doubts  could  not  but 
trouble  these  soft  natures;  and  on  that  evening,  before 
separating,  the  two  notables  had  "  decided "  to  see  each 
other  the  next  day. 

On  the  next  morning,  before  dinner,  the  Burgomaster 
Van  Tricasse  proceeded  in  person  to  the  Counselor 
Niklausse's  house.  He  found  his  friend  more  calm.  He 
himself  had  recovered  his  equanimity. 

"  Nothing  new?  "  asked  Van  Tricasse. 

"  Nothing  new  since  yesterday,"  replied  Niklausse. 

"And  the  doctor,  Dominique  Custos?  " 

"  I  have  not  heard  anything,  either  of  him  or  of  the 
advocate,  Andre  Schut." 

After  an  hour's  conversation,  which  consisted  of  three 
remarks  which  it  is  needless  to  repeat,  the  counselor  and  the 
burgomaster  had  resolved  to  pay  a  visit  to  Doctor  Ox,  so 
as  to  draw  from  him,  without  seeming  to  do  so,  some  de- 
tails of  the  affair. 

Contrary  to  all  their  habits,  after  coming  to  this  decision 
the  two  notables  set  about  putting  it  into  execution  forth- 
with. They  left  the  house  and  directed  their  steps  to- 
wards Doctor  Ox's  laboratory,  which  was  situated  outside 
the  town,  near  the  Oudenarde  gate — the  gate  whose  tower 
threatened  to  fall  in  ruins. 

,  ^  did  not  take  each  other's  arms,  but  walked  side  by 
side,  with  a  slow  and  solemn  step,  which  took  them  for- 
ward but  thirteen  inches  per  second.  This  was,  indeed, 
the  ordinary  gait  of  the  Quiquendonians,  who  had  never, 
within  the  memory  of  man,  seen  anyone  run  across  the 
streets  of  their  town. 

361 


362  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

From  time  to  time  the  two  notables  would  stop  at  some 
calm  and  tranquil  crossway,  or  at  the  end  of  a  quiet  street, 
to  salute  the  passers  by. 

"  Good  morning,  Monsieur  the  burgomaster,"  said  one. 

"  Good  morning,  my  friend,"  responded  Van  Tricasse. 

"Anything  new,  Monsieur  the  counsellor?"  asked  an- 
other. 

"  Nothing  new,"  answered  Niklausse. 

But  by  certain  agitated  motions  and  questioning  looks, 
it  was  evident  that  the  altercation  of  the  evening  before  was 
known  throughout  the  town.  Observing  the  direction 
taken  by  Van  Tricasse,  the  most  obtuse  Quiquendonians 
guessed  that  the  burgomaster  was  on  his  way  to  take  some 
important  step.  The  Gustos  and  Schut  affair  was  talked  of 
everywhere,  but  the  people  had  not  yet  come  to  the  point 
of  taking  the  part  of  one  or  the  other.  The  Advocate 
Schut,  having  never  had  occasion  to  plead  in  a  town  where 
attorneys  and  bailiffs  only  existed  in  tradition,  had,  con- 
sequently, never  lost  a  suit.  As  for  the  Doctor  Gustos, 
he  was  an  honorable  practitioner,  who,  after  the  example 
of  his  fellow-doctors,  cured  all  the  illnesses  of  his  patients, 
except  those  of  which  they  died — a  habit  unhappily  ac- 
quired by  all  the  members  of  all  the  faculties  in  whatever 
country  they  may  practice. 

On  reaching  the  Oudenarde  gate,  the  counselor  and  the 
burgomaster  prudently  made  a  short  detour,  so  as  not  to  pass 
within  reach  of  the  tower,  in  case  it  should  fall;  then  they 
turned  and  looked  at  it  attentively. 

"  I  think  that  it  will  fall,"  said  Van  Tricasse. 

"  I  think  so  too,"  replied  Niklausse. 

"  Unless  it  is  propped  up,"  added  Van  Tricasse.  "  But 
must  it  be  propped  up?     That  is  the  question." 

"  That  is— in  fact — the  question." 

Some  moments  after,  they  reached  the  door  of  the  gas- 
works. 

"  Gan  we  see  Doctor  Ox?  "  they  asked. 

Doctor  Ox  could  always  be  seen  by  the  first  authorities 
of  the  town,  and  they  were  at  once  introduced  into  the 
celebrated  physiologist's  study. 

Perhaps  the  two  notables  waited  for  the  doctor  at  least 
an  hour;  at  least  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  so,  as  the  bur- 
gomaster— a  thing  that  had  never  before  happened  in  hi$ 


WHAT   FOLLOWS   THE   VISIT  363 

life — betrayed  a  certain  amount  of  impatience,  from  which 
his  companion  was  not  exempt. 

Doctor  Ox  came  in  at  last,  and  began  to  excuse  himself 
for  having  kept  them  waiting;  he  had  to  approve  a  plan  for 
the  gasometer,  rectify  some  of  the  machinery — But  every 
thing  was  going  on  well!  The  pipes  intended  for  the 
oxygen  were  already  laid.  In  a  few  months  the  town 
would  be  splendidly  lighted.  The  two  notables  might  even 
now  see  the  orifices  of  the  pipes  which  were  laid  on  in  the 
laboratory. 

Then  the  doctor  begged  to  know  to  what  he  was  indebted 
for  the  honor  of  this  visit. 

"Only  to  see  you,  doctor;  to  see  you,"  replied  Van 
Tricasse.  "  It  is  long  since  we  have  had  the  pleasure.  We 
go  abroad  but  little  in  our  good  town  of  Quiquendone. 
We  count  our  steps  and  measure  our  walks.  We  are 
happy  when  nothing  disturbs  the  uniformity  of  our  habits." 
Niklausse  looked  at  his  friend.  His  friend  had  never 
said  so  much  at  once — at  least,  without  taking  time,  and 
giving  long  intervals  between  his  sentences.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  Van  Tricasse  expressed  himself  with  a  certain 
volubility,  which  was  by  no  means  common  with  him. 
Niklausse  himself  experienced  a  kind  of  irresistible  desire 
to  talk. 

As  for  Doctor  Ox,  he  looked  at  the  burgomaster  with 
sly  attention. 

Van  Tricasse,  who  never  argued  until  he  had  snugly 
ensconced  himself  in  a  spacious  armchair,  had  risen  to  his 
feet.  I  know  not  what  nervous  excitement,  quite  foreign 
to  his  temperament,  had  taken  possession  of  him.  He  did 
not  gesticulate  as  yet,  but  this  could  not  be  far  off.  As 
for  the  counselor,  he  rubbed  his  legs,  and  breathed  with 
slow  and  long  gasps.  His  look  became  animated  little  by 
little,  and  he  had  "  decided  "  to  support  at  all  hazards,  if 
need  be,  his  trusty  friend  the  burgomaster. 

Van  Tricasse  got  up  and  took  several  steps ;  then  he  came 
back,  and  stood  facing  the  doctor. 

"  And  in  how  many  months,"  he  asked  in  a  somewhat 
emphatic  tone,  "  do  you  say  that  your  work  will  be 
finished?" 

"  In  three  or  four  months,  Monsieur  the  burgomaster," 
replied  Doctor  Ox. 


364  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

"  Three  or  four  months, — it's  a  very  long  time !  "  said 
Van  Tricasse. 

"  Altogether  too  long !  "  added  Niklausse,  who,  not  being 
able  to  keep  his  seat,  rose  also. 

"  This  lapse  of  time  is  necessary  to  complete  our  work," 
returned  Doctor  Ox.  "  The  workmen,  whom  we  have  had 
to  choose  in  Quiquendone,  are  not  very  expeditious." 

"How  not  expeditious?"  cried  the  burgomaster,  who 
seemed  to  take  the  remark  as  personally  offensive. 

"  No,  Monsieur  Van  Tricasse,"  replied  Doctor  Ox  ob- 
stinately. "  A  French  workman  would  do  in  a  day  what 
it  takes  ten  of  your  workmen  to  do;  you  know,  they  are 
regular  Flemings ! " 

"  Flemings ! "  cried  the  counselor,  whose  fingers  closed 
together.     "  In  what  sense,  sir,  do  you  use  that  word?  " 

"  Why,  in  the  amiable  sense  in  which  everybody  uses  it," 
replied  Doctor  Ox,  smiling. 

"Ah,  but  doctor,"  said  the  burgomaster,  pacing  up  and 
down  the  room.  "  I  don't  like  these  insinuations.  The 
workmen  of  Quiquendone  are  as  efficient  as  those  of  any 
other  town  in  the  world,  you  must  know;  and  we  shall  go 
neither  to  Paris  nor  London  for  our  models !  As  for  your 
project,  I  beg  you  to  hasten  its  execution.  Our  streets  have 
been  unpaved  for  the  putting  down  of  your  conduit-pipes, 
and  it's  a  hindrance  to  traffic.  Our  trade  will  begin  to 
suffer,  and  I,  being  the  responsible  authority,  do  not  pro- 
pose to  incur  reproaches  which  will  be  but  too  just." 

Worthy  burgomaster!  He  spoke  of  trade,  of  traffic, 
and  the  wonder  was  that  those  words,  to  which  he  was 
quite  unaccustomed,  did  not  scorch  his  lips.  What  could 
be  passing  in  his  mind.? 

"  Besides,"  added  Niklausse,  "  the  town  cannot  be  de- 
prived of  light  much  longer." 

"  But,"  urged  Doctor  Ox,  "  a  town  which  has  been  un- 
lighted  for  eight  or  nine  hundred  years " 

"  All  the  more  necessary  is  it,"  replied  the  burgomaster, 
emphasizing  his  words.  "Times  alter,  manners  alter! 
The  world  advances,  and  we  do  not  wish  to  remain  be- 
hind. We  desire  our  streets  to  be  lighted  within  a  month, 
or  you  must  pay  a  large  indemnity  for  each  day  of  delay; 
and  what  would  happen  If,  amid  the  darkness,  some  affray 
should  take  place?" 


WHAT    FOLLOWS    THE   VISIT  365 

"  No  doubt,"  cried  Niklausse.  "  It  requires  but  a  spark 
to  inflame  a  Fleming !  Fleming !  Flame !  " 

"  Apropos  of  this,"  said  the  burgomaster,  interrupting 
his  friend,  "  Commissary  Passauf,  our  chief  of  police,  re- 
ports to  us  that  a  discussion  took  place  in  your  drawing- 
room  last  evening.  Doctor  Ox.  Was  he  wrong  in  declar- 
ing that  it  was  a  political  discussion?  " 

"  By  no  means,  Monsieur  the  burgomaster,"  replied  Doc- 
tor Ox,  who  with  difficulty  repressed  a  sigh  of  satisfaction. 

"  So  an  altercation  did  take  place  between  Dominique 
Gustos  and  Andre  Schut?  " 

"Yes,  counselor;  but  the  words  which  passed  were  not 
of  grave  import." 

"  Not  of  grave  import!  "  cried  the  burgomaster.  "  Not 
of  grave  import,  when  one  man  tells  another  that  he  does 
not  measure  the  effect  of  his  words !  But  of  what  stuff 
are  you  made,  monsieur?  Do  you  not  know  that  in  Qui- 
quendone  nothing  more  is  needed  to  bring  about  extremely 
disastrous  results?  But  monsieur,  if  you,  or  anyone  else, 
presume  to  speak  thus  to  me " 

"  Or  to  me,"  added  Niklausse. 

As  they  pronounced  these  words  with  a  menacing  air, 
the  two  notables,  with  folded  arms  and  bristling  air,  con- 
fronted Doctor  Ox,  ready  to  do  him  some  violence,  if  by  a 
gesture,  or  even  the  expression  of  his  eye,  he  manifested 
any  intention  of  contradicting  them. 

But  the  doctor  did  not  budge. 

**At  all  events,  monsieur,"  resumed  the  burgomaster, 
"  I  propose  to  hold  you  responsible  for  what  passes  in  your 
house.  I  am  bound  to  insure  the  tranquillity  of  this  town, 
and  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  disturbed.  The  events  of  last 
evening  must  not  be  repeated,  or  I  shall  do  my  duty,  sir! 
Do  you  hear?     Then  reply,  sir." 

The  burgomaster  as  he  spoke  under  the  influence  of  ex- 
traordinary excitement,  elevated  his  voice  to  the  pitch  of 
anger.  He  was  furious,  the  worthy  Van  Tricasse,  and 
might  certainly  be  heard  outside.  At  last,  beside  himself, 
and  seeing  that  Doctor  Ox  did  not  reply  to  his  challenge, 
"  Come,  Niklausse,"  said  he. 

And,  slamming  the  door  with  a  violence  which  shook 
the  house,  the  burgomaster  drew  his  friend  after  him. 

Little  by  little,  when  they  had  taken  twenty  steps  on  their 


366  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

road,  the  worthy  notables  grew  more  calm.  Their  pace 
slackened,  their  gait  became  less  feverish.  The  flush  on 
their  faces  faded  away;  from  being  crimson,  they  became 
rosy.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  quitting  the  gas-works, 
Van  Tricasse  said  softly  to  Niklausse,  "An  amiable  man, 
Doctor  Ox !     It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  see  him ! " 


CHAPTER  VI 

In  which  Frants  Niklausse  and  Suzel  Van  Tricasse  form 

certain  projects  for  the  future. 

Our  readers,  know  that  the  burgomaster  had  a  daughter, 
Suzel.  But,  shrewd  as  they  may  be,  they  cannot  have 
divined  that  the  Counselor  Niklausse  had  a  son,  Frantz; 
and  had  they  divined  this,  nothing  could  have  led  them  to 
imagine  that  Frantz  was  the  betrothed  lover  of  Suzel.  We 
will  add  that  these  young  people  were  made  for  each  other, 
and  that  they  loved  each  other,  as  folks  did  love  at  Qui- 
quendone. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  young  hearts  did  not  beat 
in  this  exceptional  place;  only  they  beat  with  a  certain  de- 
liberation. There  were  marriages  there,  as  in  every  other 
town  in  the  world ;  but  they  took  time  about  it.  Betrothed 
couples,  before  engaging  in  these  terrible  bonds,  wished  to 
study  each  other;  and  these  studies  lasted  at  least  ten  years, 
as  at  college.  It  was  rare  that  anyone  was  "  accepted " 
before  this  lapse  of  time. 

Yes,  ten  years!  The  courtships  last  ten  years!  And  is 
it,  after  all,  too  long,  when  the  being  bound  for  life  is  in 
consideration?  One  studies  ten  years  to  become  an  en- 
gineer or  physician,  an  advocate  or  attorney,  and  should 
less  time  be  spent  in  acquiring  the  knowledge  to  make  a 
good  husband.?  Is  it  not  reasonable?  and,  whether  due  to 
temperament  or  reason  with  them,  the  Quiquendonians 
seem  to  us  to  be  in  the  right  in  thus  prolonging  their  court- 
ship. When  marriages  in  other  more  lively  and  excitable 
cities  are  seen  taking  place  within  a  few  months,  we  must 
shrug  our  shoulders,  and  hasten  to  send  our  boys  to  the 
schools  and  our  daughters  to  the  pensions  of  Quiquen- 
done. 

For  half  a  century  but  a  single  marriage  Mras  known  to 


PROJECTS    FOR   THE   FUTURE  367 

have  taken  place  after  the  lapse  of  two  years  only  of  court- 
ship, and  that  turned  out  badly ! 

Frantz  Niklausse,  then,  loved  Suzel  Van  Tricasse,  but 
quietly,  as  a  man  would  love  when  he  has  ten  years  be- 
fore him  in  which  to  obtain  the  beloved  object.  Once  every 
week,  at  an  hour  agreed  upon,  Frantz  went  to  fetch  Suzel, 
and  took  a  walk  with  her  along  the  banks  of  the  Vaar.  He 
took  good  care  to  carry  his  fishing-tackle,  and  Suzel  never 
forgot  her  canvas,  on  which  her  pretty  hands  embroidered 
the  most  unlikely  flowers. 

Frantz  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-two,  whose  cheeks 
betrayed  a  soft,  peachy  down,  and  whose  voice  had  scarcely 
a  compass  of  one  octave. 

As  for  Suzel,  she  was  blonde  and  rosy.  She  was  seven- 
teen, and  did  not  dislike  fishing.  A  singular  occupation 
this,  however,  which  forces  you  to  struggle  craftily  with  a 
barbel.  But  Frantz  loved  it;  the  pastime  was  congenial  to 
his  temperament.  As  patient  as  possible,  content  to  fol- 
low with  his  rather  dreamy  eye  the  cork  which  bobbed  on 
the  top  of  the  water,  he  knew  how  to  wait;  and  when,  after 
sitting  for  six  hours,  a  modest  barbel,  taking  pity  on  him, 
consented  at  last  to  be  caught,  he  was  happy — but  he  knew 
how  to  control  his  emotion. 

On  this  day  the  two  lovers — one  might  say,  the  two  be- 
trothed— were  seated  upon  the  verdant  bank.  The  limpid 
Vaar  murmured  a  few  feet  below  them.  Suzel  quietly 
drew  her  needle  across  the  canvas.  Frantz  automatically 
carried  his  line  from  left  to  right,  then  permitted  it  to  de- 
scend the  current  from  right  to  left.  The  fish  made 
capricious  rings  in  the  water,  which  crossed  each  other 
around  the  cork,  while  the  hook  hung  useless  near  the  bot- 
tom. 

From  time  to  time  Frantz  would  say,  without  raising  his 
eyes: 

"  I  think  I  have  a  bite,  Suzel." 

"  Do  you  think  so,  Frantz  ?  "  replied  Suzel,  who,  aban- 
doning her  work  for  an  instant,  followed  her  lover's  line 
with  earnest  eye. 

"N-no,"  resumed  Frantz;  "I  thought  I  felt  a  little 
twitch ;  I  was  mistaken." 

"  You  will  have  a  bite,  Frantz,"  replied  Suzel,  in  Her 
pure,  soft  voice.     "  But  do  not  forget  to  strike  at  the  right 


368  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

moment.     You  are  always  a  few  seconds  too  late,  and  the 
barbel  takes  advantage  to  escape." 

"  Would  you  like  to  take  my  line,  Suzel  ?  " 

"  Willingly,  Frantz." 

"  Then  give  me  your  canvas.  We  shall  see  whether  I 
am  more  adroit  with  the  needle  than  with  the  hook." 

And  the  young  girl  took  the  line  with  trembling  hand, 
while  her  swain  plied  the  needle  across  the  stitches  of  the 
embroidery.  For  hours  together  they  thus  exchanged  soft 
words,  and  their  hearts  palpitated  when  the  cork  bobbed  on 
the  water.  Ah,  could  they  ever  forget  those  charming 
hours,  during  which,  seated  side  by  side,  they  listened  to 
the  murmurs  of  the  river? 

The  sun  was  fast  approaching  the  western  horizon,  and 
despite  the  combined  skill  of  Suzel  and  Frantz,  there  had 
not  been  a  bite.  The  barbels  had  not  shown  themselves 
complacent,  and  seemed  to  scoff  at  the  two  young  people, 
who  were  too  just  to  bear  them  malice, 

"  We  shall  be  more  lucky  another  time,  Frantz,"  said 
Suzel,  as  the  young  angler  put  up  his  still  virgin  hook. 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  replied  Frantz. 

Then  walking  side  by  side,  they  turned  their  steps  to- 
wards the  house,  without  exchanging  a  word,  as  mute  as 
their  shadows  which  stretched  out  before  them.  Suzel  be- 
came very,  very  tall  under  the  oblique  rays  of  the  setting 
sun.  Frantz  appeared  very,  very  thin,  like  the  long  rod 
which  he  held  in  his  hand. 

They  reached  the  burgomaster's  house.  Green  tufts  of 
grass  bordered  the  shining  pavement,  and  no  one  would 
have  thought  of  tearing  them  away,  for  they  deadened  the 
noise  made  by  the  passers-by. 

As  they  were  about  to  open  the  door,  Frantz,  thought 
it  his  duty  to  say  to  Suzel : 

"You  know,  Suzel,  the  great  day  is  approaching?" 

"It  is  indeed,  Frantz,"  replied  the  young  girl,  with 
downcast  eyes. 

*'  Yes,"  said  Frantz,  "  in  five  or  six  years " 

"  Good-bye,  Frantz,"  said  Suzel. 

"  Good-bye  Suzel,"  replied  Frantz. 

And,  after  the  door  had  been  closed,  the  young  man 
resumed  the  way  to  his  father's  house  with  a  calm  and 
equal  pace. 

V.  VII  Verne 


CHAPTER  VII 

In  which  the  Andantes  become  Allegros,  and  the  Allegros 

Vivaces 

The  agitation  caused  by  the  Schut  and  Custos  affair  had 
subsided.  The  affair  led  to  no  serious  consequences.  It 
appeared  likely  that  Quiquendone  would  return  to  its  habit- 
ual apathy,  which  that  unexpected  event  had  for  a  moment 
disturbed. 

Meanwhile,  the  laying  of  the  pipes  destined  to  conduct 
the  oxyhydric  gas  into  the  principal  edifices  of  the  town  was 
proceeding  rapidly.  The  main  pipes  and  branches  grad- 
ually crept  beneath  the  pavements.  But  the  burners  were 
still  wanting;  for,  as  it  required  delicate  skill  to  make  them, 
it  was  necessary  that  they  should  be  fabricated  abroad. 
Doctor  Ox  was  here,  there,  and  everywhere ;  neither  he  nor 
Ygene,  his  assistant,  lost  a  moment,  but  they  urged  on  the 
workmen,  completed  the  delicate  mechanism  of  the  gasome- 
ter, fed  day  and  night  the  immense  piles  which  decomposed 
the  water  under  the  influence  of  a  powerful  electric  cur- 
rent. Yes,  the  doctor  was  already  making  his  gas,  though 
the  pipe-laying  was  not  yet  done;  a  fact  which,  between 
ourselves,  might  have  seemed  a  little  singular.  But  before 
long, — at  least  there  was  reason  to  hope  so, — before  long 
Doctor  Ox  would  inaugurate  the  splendors  of  his  invention 
in  the  theater  of  the  town. 

For  Quiquendone  possessed  a  theater — a  really  fine 
edifice,  in  truth — the  interior  and  exterior  arrangement  of 
which  combined  every  style  of  architecture.  Nor  was  this 
surprising,  the  theater  having  been  commenced  under  the 
burgomaster  Ludwig  Van  Tricasse,  in  1175,  and  only 
finished  in  1837,  under  the  burgomaster  Natalis  Van 
Tricasse.  It  had  required  seven  hundred  years  to  build  it, 
and  it  had  been  successively  adapted  to  the  architectural 
style  in  vogue  in  each  period.  But  for  all  that  it  was  an 
imposing  structure ;  the  Roman  pillars  and  Byzantine  arches 
of  which  would  appear  to  advantage  lit  up  by  the  oxyhydric 
gas. 

Pretty  well  everything  was  acted  at  the  theater  of  Qui- 
quendone; but  the  opera  and  the  opera  comique  were 
especially  patronized.  It  must,  however,  be  added  that  the 
composers  would  never  have  recognized  their  ow^n  works, 
so  entirely  changed  were  the  "  movements  "  of  the  music. 

369 


370  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

In  short,  as  nothing  was  done  In  a  hurry  at  Quiquendone, 
the  dramatic  pieces  had  to  be  performed  in  harmony  with 
the  pecuh"ar  temperament  of  the  Quiquendonians.  Though 
the  doors  of  the  theater  were  regularly  thrown  open  at  four 
o'clock  and  closed  again  at  ten,  it  had  never  been  known 
that  more  than  two  acts  were  played  during  the  six  inter- 
vening hours.  "  Robert  le  Diable,"  "  Les  Huguenots,"  or 
"  Guillaume  Tell "  usually  took  up  three  evenings,  so  slow 
was  the  execution  of  these  masterpieces.  The  vivaces,  at 
the  theatre  of  Quiquendone,  lagged  like  real  adagios.  The 
allegros  were  "  long-drawn  out "  indeed.  The  demisemi- 
quavers  were  scarcely  equal  to  the  ordinary  semibreves  of 
other  countries.  The  most  rapid  runs,  performed  according 
to  Quiquendonian  taste,  had  the  solemn  march  of  a  chant. 
The  gayest  shakes  were  languishing  and  measured,  that  they 
might  not  shock,  the  ears  of  the  dilettanti.  To  give  an  ex- 
ample, the  rapid  air  sung  by  Figaro,  on  his  entrance  in  the 
first  act  of  "  Le  Barbier  de  Seville,"  lasted  fifty-eight  min- 
utes— when  the  actor  was  particularly  enthusiastic. 

Artists  from  abroad,  as  might  be  supposed,  were  forced  to 
conform  themselves  to  Quiquendonian  fashions;  but  as  tliey 
were  well  paid,  they  did  not  complain,  and  willingly  obeyed 
the  leader's  baton,  w^hich  never  beat  more  than  eight  meas- 
ures to  the  minute  in  the  allegros. 

But  what  applause  greeted  these  artists,  who  enchanted 
without  ever  v/earying  the  audiences  of  Quiquendone! 
All  hands  clapped  one  after  another  at  tolerably  long  in- 
tervals, which  the  papers  characterized  as  "  frantic  ap- 
plause;" and  sometimes  nothing  but  the  lavish  prodigality 
with  which  mortar  and  stone  had  been  used  in  the  twelfth 
century  saved  the  roof  of  the  hall  from  falling  In. 

Besides,  the  theater  had  only  one  performance  a  week, 
that  these  enthusiastic  Flemish  folk  might  not  be  too  much 
excited;  and  this  enabled  the  actors  to  study  their  parts 
more  thoroughly,  and  the  spectators  to  digest  more  at 
leisure  the  beauties  of  the  masterpieces  brought  out  on  the 
stage. 

Such  had  long  been  the  drama  at  Quiquendone.  Foreign 
artists  were  in  the  habit  of  making  engagements  v/ith  the 
director  of  the  town,  when  they  wanted  to  rest  after  their 
exertions  in  other  scenes;  and  It  seemed  as  if  nothing  could 
ever  change  these  Inveterate  customs,   when,  a   fortnight 


ANDANTES,  ALLEGROS  AND  VIVACES   371' 

after  the  Schut-Custos  affair,  an  unlooked-for  incident  oc- 
curred to  throw  the  population  into  fresh  agitation. 

It  was  on  a  Saturday,  an  opera  day.  It  was  not  yet  in- 
tended, as  may  well  be  supposed,  to  inaugurate  the  new 
illumination.  No;  the  pipes  had  reached  the  hall,  but,  for 
reasons  indicated  above,  the  burners  had  not  yet  been 
placed,  and  the  wax  candles  still  shed  their  soft  light  upon 
the  numerous  spectators  who  filled  the  theater.  The  doors 
had  been  opened  to  the  public  at  one  o'clock,  and  by  three 
the  hall  was  half  full.  A  queue  had  at  one  time  been 
formed,  which  extended  as  far  as  the  end  of  the  Place  Saint 
Ernuph,  in  front  of  the  shop  of  Josse  Lietrinck  the 
apothecary.  This  eagerness  was  significant  of  an  unusually 
attractive  performance. 

"Are  you  going  to  the  theater  this  evening?"  inquired 
the  counselor  the  same  morning  of  the  burgomaster. 

"  I  shall  not  fail  to  do  so,"  returned  Van  Tricasse,  "  and; 
I  shall  take  Madame  Van  Tricasse,  as  well  as  our  daughter 
Suzel  and  our  dear  Tatanemance,  who  all  dote  on  good 
music." 

**  Mademoiselle  Suzel  is  going  then?  " 

**  Certainly,  Niklausse." 

"  Then  my  son  Frantz  will  be  one  of  the  first  to  arrive,'* 
said  Niklausse. 

"  A  spirited  boy,  Niklausse,"  replied  the  burgomaster 
sententiously ;  "  but  hot-headed !  He  will  require  watch- 
ing!" 

"  He  loves,  Van  Tricasse, — he  loves  your  charming 
Suzel." 

"  Well,  Niklausse,  he  shall  marry  her.  Now  that  we 
have  agreed  on  this  marriage,  what  more  can  he  desire !  " 

"  He  desires  nothing.  Van  Tricasse,  the  dear  boy !  But, 
in  short — we'll  say  no  more  about  it — he  will  not  be  the 
last  to  get  his  ticket  at  the  box  office." 

"  Ah,  vivacious  and  ardent  youth ! "  replied  the  burgo- 
master, recalling  his  own  past.  "  We  have  also  been  thus, 
my  worthy  counselor.  We  have  loved — we  too!  We 
have  danced  attendance  in  our  day!  Till  to-night,  then, 
till  to-night!  By-the-bye,  do  you  know  this  Fiovaranti  is 
a  great  artist?  And  what  a  welcome  he  has  received 
among  us !  It  will  be  long  before  he  will  forget  the  ap- 
plause of  Quiquendone !  " 


372  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

The  tenor  Fiovaranti  was,  indeed,  going  to  sing; 
Fiovaranti,  who,  by  his  talents  as  a  virtuoso,  his  perfect 
method,  his  melodious  voice,  provoked  a  real  enthusiasm 
among  the  lovers  of  music  in  the  town. 

For  three  weeks  Fiovaranti  had  been  achieving  a  brilliant 
success  in  "  Les  Huguenots."  The  first  act,  interpreted  ac- 
cording to  the  taste  of  the  Quiquendonians,  had  occupied  an 
entire  evening  of  the  first  week  of  the  month.  Another 
evening  in  the  second  week,  prolonged  by  infinite  andantes, 
had  elicited  for  the  celebrated  singer  a  real  ovation.  His 
success  had  been  still  more  marked  in  the  third  act  of 
Meyerbeer's  masterpiece.  But  now  Fiovaranti  was  to  ap- 
pear in  the  fourth  act,  which  was  to  be  performed  on  this 
evening  before  an  impatient  public.  Ah,  the  duet  between 
Raoul  and  Valentine,  that  pathetic  love-song  for  two  voices, 
that  strain  so  full  of  crescendos,  stringendos,  and  piu 
crescendos — all  this,  sung  slowly,  compendiously,  intermin- 
ably!    Ah,  how  delightful! 

At  four  o'clock  the  hall  was  full.  The  boxes,  the  or- 
chestra, the  pit,  were  overflowing.  It  was  customary  for 
the  Quiquendonians,  while  awaiting  the  rise  of  the  curtain, 
to  sit  silent,  some  reading  the  paper,  others  whispering  low 
to  each  other,  some  making  their  way  to  their  seats 
slowly  and  noiselessly,  others  casting  timid  looks  towards 
the  bewitching  beauties  in  the  galleries. 

But  on  this  evening  a  looker  on  might  have  observed  that, 
even  before  the  curtain  rose,  there  was  unusual  animation 
among  the  audience.  People  were  restless  who  were  never 
known  to  be  restless  before.  The  ladies'  fans  fluttered  with 
abnormal  rapidity.  All  appeared  to  be  inhaling  air  of  ex- 
ceptional stimulating  power.  Everyone  breathed  more 
freely.  The  eyes  of  some  became  unwontedly  bright  and 
seemed  to  give  forth  a  light  equal  to  that  of  the  candles, 
which  themselves  certainly  threw  a  more  brilliant  light  over 
the  hall.  It  was  evident  that  people  saw  more  clearly, 
though  the  number  of  candles  had  not  been  increased.  Ah, 
if  Doctor  Ox's  experiment  were  being  tried!  But  it  was 
not  being  tried,  as  yet. 

The  musicians  of  the  orchestra  at  last  took  their  places. 
The  first  violin  had  gone  to  the  stand  to  give  a  modest  la  to 
his  colleagues.  The  stringed  instruments,  the  wind  instru- 
ments, the  drums  and  cymbals,  were  in  accord.     The  con- 


ANDANTES,  ALLEGROS  AND  VIVACES  ^yz 

ductor  only  waited  the  sound  of  the  bell  to  beat  the  first  bar. 

The  bell  sounds.  The  fourth  act  begins.  The  allegro 
appassionato  of  the  inter-act  is  played  as  usual,  with  a  majes- 
tic deliberation  which  would  have  made  Meyerbeer  frantic, 
and  all  the  majesty  of  which  was  appreciated  by  the  Qui- 
quendonian  dilettanti. 

But  soon  the  leader  perceived  that  he  was  no  longer  mas- 
ter of  his  musicians.  He  found  it  difficult  to  restrain  them, 
though  usually  so  obedient  and  calm.  The  wind  instru- 
ments betrayed  a  tendency  to  hasten  the  movements,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  hold  them  back  with  a  firm  hand,  for  they 
would  otherwise  outstrip  the  stringed  instruments;  which, 
from  a  musicial  point  of  view,  would  have  been  disastrous. 
The  bassoon  himself,  the  son  of  Josse  Lietrinck  the  apothe- 
cary, a  well-bred  young  man,  seemed  to  lose  his  self-control. 

Meanwhile  Valentine  has  begun  her  recitative,  "  I  am 
alone,"  etc. ;  but  she  hurries  it. 

The  leader  and  all  his  musicians,  perhaps  unconsciously, 
follow  her  in  her  cantahile,  which  should  be  taken  deliber- 
ately, like  a  12-8  as  it  is.  When  Raoul  appears  at  the  door 
at  the  bottom  of  the  stage,  between  the  moment  when  Valen- 
tine goes  to  him  and  that  when  she  conceals  herself  in  the 
chamber  at  the  side,  a  quarter  of  an  hour  does  not  elapse; 
while  formerly,  according  to  the  traditions  of  the  Quiquen- 
done  theater,  this  recitative  of  thirty-seven  bars  was  wont 
to  last  just  thirty-seven  minutes. 

Saint  Bris,  Nevers,  Cavannes,  and  the  Catholic  nobles 
have  appeared,  somewhat  prematurely,  perhaps,  upon  the 
scene.  The  composer  has  marked  allegro  pompose  on  the 
score.  The  orchestra  and  the  lords  proceed  allegro  indeed, 
but  not  at  all  pompose,  and  at  the  chorus,  in  the  famous  scene 
of  the  "  benediction  of  the  poniards,"  they  no  longer  keep 
to  the  enjoined  allegro.  Singers  and  musicians  broke  away 
impetuously.  The  leader  does  not  even  attempt  to  re- 
strain them.  Nor  do  the  public  protest;  on  the  contrary, 
the  people  find  themselves  carried  away,  and  see  that  they 
are  involved  in  the  movement,  and  that  the  movement  re- 
sponds to  the  impulses  of  their  souls. 

Will  you,  with  me,  deliver  the  land. 
From  troubles  increasing,  an  impious  band  ? 

They  promise,  they  swear.     Nevers  has  scarcely  time  to 


374  DR-    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

protest,  and  to  sing  that  "  among  his  ancestors  were  many 
soldiers,  but  never  an  assassin."  He  is  arrested.  The 
pohce  and  the  aldermen  rush  forward  and  rapidly  swear  "  to 
strike  all  at  once."  Saint  Bris  shouts  the  recitative  which 
summons  the  Catholics  to  vengeance.  The  three  monks, 
with  white  scarfs,  hasten  in  by  the  door  at  the  back  of 
Nevers's  room,  without  making  any  account  of  the  stage 
directions,  which  enjoin  on  them  to  advance  slowly.  Al- 
ready ail  the  artists  have  drawn  sword  or  poniard,  which  the 
three  monks  bless  in  a  trice.  The  soprani,  tenors,  bassos, 
attack  the  allegro  furioso  with  cries  of  rage,  and  of  a  drama- 
tic 6-8  time  they  make  it  6-8  quadrille  time.  Then  they 
rush  out,  bellowing: 

At  midnight, 
Noiselessly, 
God  wills  it 

Yes, 
At  midnight. 

At  this  moment  the  audience  start  to  their  feet.  Every- 
body is  agitated — in  the  boxes,  the  pit,  the  galleries.  It 
seems  as  if  the  spectators  are  about  to  rush  upon  the  stage, 
the  Burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  at  their  head,  to  join  with  the 
conspirators  and  annihilate  the  Huguenots,  whose  religious 
opinions,  however,  they  share.  They  applaud,  call  before 
the  curtain,  make  loud  acclamations!  Tatanemance  grasps 
her  bonnet  with  feverish  hand.  The  candles  throw  out  a 
lurid  glow  of  light. 

Raoul,  instead  of  slowly  raising  the  curtain,  tears  it  apart 
with  a  superb  gesture  and  finds  himself  confronting  Valen- 
tine. 

At  last!  It  is  the  grand  duet,  and  it  starts  off  allegro 
vivace.  Raoul  does  not  wait  for  Valentine's  pleading,  and 
Valentine  does  not  wait  for  Raoul's  responses. 

The  fine  passage  beginning,  "  Danger  is  passing,  time  is 
flying,"  becomes  one  of  those  rapid  airs  which  have  made 
Offenbach  famous,  when  he  composes  a  dance  for  conspira- 
torls.  The  andante  amoroso,  "  Thou  hast  said  it,  aye,  thou 
lovest  me,"  becomes  a  real  vivace  furioso,  and  the  violoncello 
ceases  to  imitate  the  inflections  of  the  singer's  voice,  as  in- 
dicated in  the  composer's  score.  In  vain  Raoul  cries, 
"  Speak  on,  and  prolong  the  ineffable  slumber  of  my  soul." 
Valentine  cannot  "  prolong."  It  is  evident  that  an  unaccus- 
tomed fire  devours  her.     Her  b's  ajid  her  c's  above  the  stave 


ANDANTES,    ALLEGROS    AND    VIVACES      375 

were  dreadfully  shrill.  He  struggles,  he  gesticulates,  he  is 
all  in  a  glow. 

The  alarum  is  heard ;  the  bell  resounds ;  but  what  a  pant- 
ing bell!  The  bell-ringer  has  evidently  lost  his  self-control. 
It  is  a  frightful  tocsin,  which  violently  struggles  against  the 
fury  of  the  orchestra. 

Finally  the  air  which  ends  this  magnificent  act,  beginning, 
"  No  more  love,  no  more  intoxication,  O  the  remorse  that 
oppresses  me ! "  which  the  composer  marks  allegro  con 
moto,  becomes  a  wild  prestissimo.  You  would  say  an  ex- 
press-train was  whirling  by.  The  alarum  resounds  again. 
Valentine  falls  fainting.  Raoul  precipitates  himself  from 
the  window. 

It  was  high  time.  The  orchestra,  really  Intoxicated, 
could  not  have  gone  on.  The  leader's  baton  is  no  longer 
anything  but  a  broken  stick  on  the  prompter's  box.  The 
violin  strings  are  broken,  and  their  necks  twisted.  In  his 
fury  the  drummer  has  burst  his  drum.  The  counter  bassist 
has  perched  on  the  top  of  his  musical  monster.  The  first 
clarionet  has  swallowed  the  reed  of  his  instrument,  and  the 
second  hautboy  is  chewing  his  reed  keys.  The  groove  of  the 
trombone  is  strained,  and  finally  the  unhappy  cornist  cannot 
withdrew  his  hand  from  the  bell  of  his  horn,  into  which  he 
had  thrust  it  too  far. 

And  the  audience !  The  audience,  panting,  all  in  a  heat, 
gesticulates  and  howls.  All  the  faces  are  as  red  as  if  a  fire 
were  burning  within  their  bodies.  They  crowd  each  other, 
hustle  each  other  to  get  out — the  men  without  hats,  the 
women  without  mantles !  They  elbow  each  other  in  the  cor- 
ridors, crush  between  the  doors,  quarrel,  fight !  There  are  no 
longer  any  officials,  any  burgomaster.  All  are  equal  amid 
this  infernal  frenzy ! 

Some  moments  after,  when  all  have  reached  the  street, 
each  one  resumes  his  habitual  tranquillity,  and  peaceably  en- 
ters his  house,  with  a  confused  remembrance  of  what  he  has 
just  experienced. 

The  fourth  act  of  the  "Huguenots,"  which  formerly 
lasted  six  hours,  began,  on  this  evening  at  half-past  four, 
and  ended  at  twelve  minutes  before  five. 

It  had  only  lasted  eighteen  minutes ! 


CHAPTER  VIII 
In  which  the  Ancient  and  Solemn  German  Walts  becomes 

a  Whirlwind. 

But  if  the  spectators,  leaving  the  theater,  resumed  their 
customary  calm,  if  they  quietly  regained  their  homes,  pre- 
serving only  a  sort  of  passing  stupefaction,  they  had  none  the 
less  undergone  a  remarkable  exaltation,  and,  overcome  and 
weary,  as  if  they  had  committed  some  excess  of  dissipation, 
they  fell  heavily  upon  their  beds. 

The  next  day  each  Quiquendonian  had  a  kind  of  recollec- 
tion of  what  had  occurred  the  evening  before.  One  missed 
his  hat,  lost  in  the  hubbub;  another  a  coat-flap,  torn  in  the 
brawl;  one  her  delicately  fashioned  shoe,  another  her  best 
mantle.  Memory  returned  to  these  worthy  people,  and  with 
it  a  certain  shame  for  their  unjustifiable  agitation.  It 
seemed  to  them  an  orgy  in  which  they  were  the  unconscious 
heroes  and  heroines.  They  did  not  speak  of  it;  they  did  not 
wish  to  think  of  it.  But  the  most  astounded  personage  in 
the  town  was  Van  Tricasse  the  burgomaster. 

The  next  morning,  on  waking,  he  could  not  find  his  wig. 
Lotche  looked  everywhere  for  it,  but  in  vain.  The  wig 
had  remained  on  the  field  of  battle.  As  for  having  it  pub- 
licly claimed  by  Jean  Mistrol,  the  town-crier, — no,  it  would 
not  do.  It  were  better  to  lose  the  wig  than  to  advertise  him- 
self thus,  as  he  had  the  honor  to  be  the  first  magistrate  of 
Quiquendone. 

The  worthy  Van  Tricasse  was  reflecting  upon  this,  ex- 
tended beneath  his  sheets,  with  bruised  body,  heavy  head, 
furred  tongue,  and  burning  breast.  He  felt  no  desire  to  get 
up;  on  the  contrary;  and  his  brain  worked  more  during  this 
morning  than  it  had  probably  worked  before  for  forty  years. 
The  worthy  magistrate  recalled  to  his  mind  all  the  incidents 
of  the  incomprehensible  performance.  He  connected  them 
with  the  events  which  had  taken  place  shortly  before  at 
Doctor  Ox's  reception.  He  tried  to  discover  the  causes  of 
the  singular  excitability  which,  on  two  occasions,  had  be- 
trayed itself  in  the  best  citizens  of  the  town. 

"What  can  be  going  on?"  he  asked  himself.  "What 
giddy  spirit  has  taken  possession  of  my  peaceable  town  of 
Quiquendone?  Are  we  about  to  go  mad,  and  must  we  make 
the  town  one  vast  asylum?  For  yesterday  we  were  all  there, 
notables,  counselors,  judges,  advocates,  physicians,  school- 

376 


/ 


THE   WALTZ    BECOMES    A   WHIRLWIND      377 

masters;  and  all,  if  my  memory  serves  me, — all  of  us  were 
assailed  by  this  excess  of  furious  folly !  But  what  was  there 
in  that  infernal  music?  It  is  inexplicable!  Yet  I  certainly 
ate  or  drank  nothing  which  could  put  me  into  such  a  state. 
No;  yesterday  I  had  for  dinner  a  slice  of  overdone  veal, 
several  spoonfuls  of  spinach  with  sugar,  eggs,  and  a  little 
beer  and  water, — that  couldn't  get  into  my  head!  No! 
There  is  something  that  I  cannot  explain,  and  as  after  all  I 
am  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the  citizens,  I  will  have 
an  investigation." 

But  the  investigation,  though  decided  upon  by  the  munici- 
pal council,  produced  no  result.  If  the  facts  were  clear, 
the  causes  escaped  the  sagacity  of  the  magistrates.  Besides, 
tranquillity  had  been  restored  in  the  public  mind,  and  with 
tranquillity,  forgetfulness  of  the  strange  scenes  of  the 
theater.  The  newspapers  avoided  speaking  of  them,  and 
the  account  of  the  performance  which  appeared  in  the  Qui- 
quendone  Memorial,  made  no  allusion  to  this  intoxication  of 
the  entire  audience. 

Meanwhile,  though  the  town  resumed  its  habitual  phlegm, 
and  became  apparently  Flemish  as  before,  it  was  observable 
that,  at  bottom,  the  character  and  temperament  of  the  people 
changed  little  by  little.  One  might  have  truly  said,  with 
Dominique  Gustos,  the  doctor,  that  "their  nerves  were 
affected." 

Let  us  explain.  This  undoubted  change  only  took  place 
under  certain  conditions.  When  the  Quiquendonians  passed 
through  the  streets  of  the  town,  walked  in  the  squares  or 
along  the  Vaar,  they  were  always  the  cold  and  methodical 
people  of  former  days.  So,  too,  when  they  remained  at 
home,  some  working  with  their  hands  and  others  with  their 
heads, — these  doing  nothing,  those  thinking  nothing, — their 
private  life  was  silent,  inert,  vegetating  as  before.  No 
quarrels,  no  household  squables,  no  acceleration  in  the  beat- 
ing of  the  heart,  no  excitement  of  the  brain.  The  mean  of 
their  pulsations  remained  as  it  was  of  old. 

But,  strange  and  inexplicable  phenomenon  though  It  was, 
which  would  have  defied  the  sagacity  of  the  most  ingenious 
physiologists  of  the  day,  if  the  inhabitants  of  Quiquendone 
did  not  change  in  their  home  life,  they  were  visibly  changed 
in  their  civil  life  and  in  their  relations  between  man  and 
man,  to  which  it  leads. 


378  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

If  they  met  together  in  some  public  edifice,  it  did  not 
"  work  well  "  as  Commissary  Passauf  expressed  it.  On 
'change,  at  the  town-hall,  in  the  amphitheater  of  the  academy, 
at  the  sessions  of  the  council,  as  well  as  at  the  reunions  of 
the  savants,  a  strange  excitement  seized  the  assembled 
citizens.  Their  relations  with  each  other  became  embarrass- 
ing before  they  had  been  together  an  hour.  In  two  hours 
the  discussion  degenerated  into  an  angry  dispute.  Heads 
became  heated,  and  personalities  were  used.  Even  at  church, 
during  the  sermon,  the  faithful  could  not  listen  to  Van  Sta- 
bel,  the  minister,  in  patience,  and  he  threw  himself  about  in 
the  pulpit  and  lectured  his  flock  with  far  more  than  his  usual 
severity.  At  last  this  state  of  things  brought  about  alterca- 
tions more  grave,  alas !  than  that  between  Gustos  and  Schut, 
and  if  they  did  not  require  the  interference  of  the  authorities, 
it  was  because  the  antagonists,  after  returning  home,  found 
there,  with  its  calm,  forget  fulness  of  the  offenses  offered  and 
received. 

This  peculiarity  could  not  be  observed  by  these  minds, 
which  were  absolutely  incapable  of  recognizing  what  was 
passing  in  them.  One  person  only  in  the  town,  he  whose 
office  the  council  had  thought  of  suppressing  for  thirty 
years,  Michael  Passauf,  had  remarked  that  this  excitement, 
which  was  absent  from  private  houses,  quickly  revealed  it- 
self in  public  edifices;  and  he  asked  himself,  not  without  a 
certain  anxiety,  what  would  happen  if  this  infection  should 
ever  develop  itself  in  the  family  mansions,  and  if  the  epi- 
demic— ^this  was  the  word  he  used — should  extend  through 
the  streets  of  the  town.  Then  there  would  be  no  more  for- 
getfulness  of  insults,  no  more  tranquillity,  no  intermission  in 
the  delirium ;  but  a  permanent  inflammation,  which  would  in- 
evitably bring  the  Quiquendonians  into  collision  with  each 
other. 

"  What  would  happen  then?  "  Commissary  Passauf  asked 
himself  in  terror.  "  How  could  these  furious  savages  be 
arrested?  How  check  these  goaded  temperaments?  My 
office  would  be  no  longer  a  sinecure,  and  the  council  would  be 
obliged  to  double  my  salary — unless  it  should  arrest  me  my- 
self, for  disturbing  the  public  peace!  " 

These  very  reasonable  fears  began  to  be  realized.  The 
infection  spread  from  'change,  the  theater,  the  church,  the 
town-hall,  the  academy,  the  market,  into  private  houses,  and 


THE   WALTZ    BECOMES   A    WHIRLWIND      379 

that  in  less  than  a  fortnight  after  the  terrible  performance 
of  the  "  Huguenots." 

Its  first  symptoms  appeared  in  the  house  of  Collaert,  the 
banker. 

That  wealthy  personage  gave  a  ball,  or  at  least  a  dancing- 
party,  to  the  notabihties  of  the  town.  He  had  issued,  some 
months  before,  a  loan  of  thirty  thousand  francs,  three  quar- 
ters of  which  had  been  subscribed;  and  to  celebrate  this 
financial  success,  he  had  opened  his  drawing-room.s,  and 
given  a  party  to  his  fellow-citizens. 

Everybody  knows  that  Flemish  parties  are  innocent  and 
tranquil  enough,  the  principal  expense  is  usually  in  beer  and 
sirups.  Some  conversation  on  the  weather,  the  appearance 
of  the  crops,  the  fine  condition  of  the  gardens,  the  care  of 
flowers,  and  especially  of  tulips;  a  slow  and  measured  dance, 
from  time  to  time,  perhaps  a  minuet;  sometimes  a  waltz, 
but  one  of  those  German  waltzes  which  achieve  a  turn  and 
a  half  per  minute,  and  during  which  the  dancers  hold  each 
other  as  far  apart  as  their  arms  will  permit, — such  is  the 
usual  fashion  of  the  balls  attended  by  the  aristocratic  society 
of  Quinquendone.  But  the  dancers  always  lagged  behind 
the  orchestra,  no  matter  how  slow  the  measure,  and  it  had 
to  be  abandoned. 

These  peaceable  reunions,  in  which  the  youths  and  maidens 
enjoyed  an  honest  and  moderate  pleasure,  had  never  been  at- 
tended by  any  outburst  of  ill-nature.  Why,  then,  on  this 
■evening  at  Collaert  the  banker's,  did  the  sirups  seem  to  be 
transformed  into  heady  wines,  into  sparkling  champagne, 
into  heating  punches?  Why,  towards  the  middle  of  the 
evening,  did  a  sort  of  mysterious  intoxication  take  possession 
of  the  guests.?  Why  did  the  minuet  become  a  jig?  Why 
did  the  orchestra  hurry  with  its  harmonies?  Why  did  the 
candles,  just  as  at  the  theater,  burn  with  unwonted  reful- 
gence? What  electric  current  invaded  the  banker's  draw- 
ing-rooms? How  happened  it  that  the  couples  held  each 
other  so  closely,  and  clasped  each  other's  hands  so  convul- 
sively, that  the  "  cavaliers  seuls "  made  themselves  con- 
spicuous by  certain  extraordinary  steps  in  that  figure,  usually 
so  grave,  so  solemn,  so  majestic,  so  very  proper? 

Alas !  what  Edipus  could  have  answered  these  unsolvable 
questions?  Commissary  Passauf,  who  was  present  at  the 
party,  saw  the  storm  coming  distinctly,  but  he  could  not  con- 


38o  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

trol  it  or  fly  from  it,  and  he  felt  a  kind  of  intoxication  en- 
tering his  own  brain.  All  his  physical  and  emotional  facul- 
ties increased  in  intensity.  He  was  seen,  several  times,  to 
throw  himself  upon  the  confectionery  and  devour  the  dishes, 
as  if  he  had  just  broken  a  long  fast. 

The  animation  of  the  ball  was  increasing  all  this  while. 
A  long  murmur,  like  a  dull  buzzing,  escaped  from  all  breasts. 
They  danced — really  danced.  The  feet  were  agitated  by 
increasing  frenzy.  The  faces  became  as  purple  as  that  of 
Silenus.  The  eyes  shone  like  carbuncles.  The  general  fer- 
mentation rose  to  the  highest  pitch. 

And  when  the  orchestra  thundered  out  the  waltz  in  "  Der 
Freischutz," — when  this  waltz,  so  German,  and  with  a  move- 
ment so  slow,  was  attacked  with  wild  arms  by  the  musicians, 
— ah !  it  was  no  longer  a  waltz,  but  an  insensate  whirlwind,  a 
giddy  rotation,  a  gyration  worthy  of  being  led  by  some 
Mephistopheles,  beating  the  measure  with  a  firebrand! 
Then  a  galop,  an  infernal  galop,  which  lasted  an  hour  with- 
out any  one  being  able  to  stop  it,  whirled  off,  in  its  windings, 
•across  the  halls,  the  drawing-rooms,  the  antechambers,  by 
the  staircases,  from  the  cellar  to  the  garret  of  the  opulent 
mansion,  the  young  men  and  young  girls,  the  fathers  and 
mothers,  people  of  every  age,  of  every  weight,  of  both  sexes; 
Collaert,  the  fat  banker,  and  Madame  Collaert,  and  the 
counselors,  and  the  magistrates,  and  the  chief  justice,  and 
Niklausse,  and  Madame  Van  Tricasse,  and  the  Burgomaster 
Van  Tricasse,  and  the  Commissionary  Passauf  himself,  who 
never  could  recall  afterwards  who  had  been  his  partner  on 
that  terrible  evening. 

But  she  did  not  forget !  And  ever  since  that  day  she  has 
seen  in  her  dreams  the  fiery  commissary,  enfolding  her  in 
an  impassioned  embrace!  And  "she" — was  the  amiable 
Tatanemance. 


/ 


CHAPTER  IX 
In  which  Doctor  Ox  and  Ygene,  his  assistantj  say  a  few 

words 

"Well,  Ygene?" 

"  Well,  master,  all  is  ready.  The  laying  of  the  pipes  is 
finished." 

"  At  last !  Now,  then,  we  are  going  to  operate  on  a  large 
scale,  on  the  masses !  " 

CHAPTER  X 

In  which  it  will  he  seen  that  the  Epidemic  invades  the  entire 

Town,  and  what  Effect  it  Produces 

During  the  following  months  the  evil,  in  place  of  subsid- 
ing, became  more  extended.  From  private  houses  the  epi- 
demic spread  into  the  streets.  The  town  of  Quiquendone 
was  no  longer  to  be  recognized. 

A  phenomenon  yet  stranger  than  those  which  had  already 
happened,  now  appeared ;  not  only  the  animal  kingdom,  but 
the  vegetable  kingdom  itself,  became  subject  to  the  mys- 
terious influence. 

According  to  the  ordinary  course  of  things,  epidemics  are 
special  in  their  operation.  Those  which  attack  humanity 
spare  the  animals,  and  those  which  attack  the  animals  spare 
the  vegetables.  A  horse  was  never  afflicted  with  small-pox, 
nor  a  man  with  the  cattle-plague,  nor  do  sheep  suffer  from 
the  potato-rot.  But  here  all  the  laws  of  nature  seemed  to  be 
overturned.  Not  only  were  the  character,  temperament,  and 
ideas  of  the  townsfolk  changed  but  the  domestic  animals — 
dogs  and  cats,  horses  and  cows,  asses  and  goats — suffered 
from  this  epidemic  influence,  as  if  their  habitual  equilibrium 
had  been  changed.  The  plants  themselves  were  infected  by 
a  similar  strange  metamorphosis. 

In  the  gardens  and  vegetable  patches  and  orchards  very 
curious  symptoms  manifested  themselves.  Climbing  plants 
climbed  more  audaciously.  Tufted  plants  became  more 
tufted  than  ever.  Shrubs  became  trees.  Cereals,  scarcely 
sown,  showed  their  little  green  heads,  and  gained,  in  the 
same  length  of  time,  as  much  in  inches  as  formerly,  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances,  they  had  gained  in  frac- 
tions. Asparagus  attained  the  height  of  several  feet;  the 
artichokes  swelled  to  the  size  of  melons,  the  melons  to  the 

381 


382  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

size  of  pumpkins,  the  pumpkins  to  the  size  of  gourds,  the 
gourds  to  the  size  of  the  belfry  bell,  which  measured,  in 
truth,  nine  feet  in  diameter.  The  cabbages  were  bushes, 
and  the  mushrooms  umbrellas. 

The  fruits  did  not  lag  behind  the  vegetables.  It  required 
two  persons  to  eat  a  strawberry,  and  four  to  consume  a  pear. 
The  grapes  also  attained  the  enormous  proportions  of  those 
so  well  depicted  by  Poussin  in  his  "  Return  of  the  Envoys  to 
the  Promised  Land." 

It  was  the  same  with  the  flowers ;  immense  violets  spread 
the  most  penetrating  perfumes  through  the  air;  exaggerted 
roses  shone  with  the  brightest  colors;  lilies  formed, 
in  a  few  days,  impenetrable  copses;  geraniums,  daisies,  ca- 
mellias, rhododendrons,  invaded  the  garden  walks,  and  stifled 
each  other.  And  the  tulips, — those  dear  liliaceous  plants  so 
dear  to  the  Flemish  heart, — what  emotion  they  must  have 
caused  to  their  zealous  cultivators !  The  worthy  Van  Bis- 
trom  nearly  fell  over  backvs^ards,  one  day,  on  seeing  in  his 
garden  an  enormous  "  Tulipa  gesneriana,"  a  gigantic  mon- 
ster, whose  cup  afforded  space  to  a  nest  for  a  whole  family 
of  robins! 

The  entire  town  flocked  to  see  this  floral  phenomenon,  and 
renamed  it  the  "  Tulipa  quiquendonia." 

But  alas!  if  these  plants,  these  fruits,  these  flowers,  grew 
visibly  to  the  naked  eye,  if  all  the  vegetables  insisted  on  as- 
suming colossal  proportions,  if  the  brilliancy  of  their  colors 
and  perfume  intoxicated  the  smell  and  the  sight,  they  quickly 
withered.  The  air  which  they  absorbed  rapidly  exhausted 
them,  and  they  soon  died,  faded,  and  dried  up. 

Such  was  the  fate  of  the  famous  tulip,  which,  after  sev- 
eral days  of  gorgeous  splendor,  became  emaciated,  and  fell 
lifeless. 

It  was  soon  the  same  with  the  domestic  animals,  from  the 
house  dog  to  the  stable  pig,  from  tlie  canary  in  its  cage  to 
the  turkey  of  the  back  court.  It  must  be  said  that  in  or- 
dinary times  these  animals  were  not  less  phlegmatic  than 
their  masters.  The  dogs  and  cats  vegetated  rather  than 
lived.  They  never  betrayed  a  wag  of  plesaure  nor  a  snarl 
of  wrath.  Their  tails  moved  no  more  than  if  they  had  been 
made  of  bronze.  Such  a  tiling  as  a  bite  or  scratch  from 
any  of  them  had  not  been  known  from  time  immemorial. 
As  for  mad  dogs,  they  were  looked  upon  as  imaginary  beasts, 


/ 


THE    EPIDEMIC  383 

like  the  griffins  and  the  rest  in  the  menagerie  of  the  apoc- 
alypse. 

But  what  a  change  had  taken  place  in  a  few  months,  the 
smallest  incidents  of  which  we  are  trying  to  reproduce !  Dog? 
and  cats  began  to  show  teeth  and  claws.  Several  executions 
had  taken  place  after  reiterated  offenses.  A  horse  was  seen, 
for  the  first  time,  to  take  his  bit  in  his  teeth  and  rush  through 
the  streets  of  Quiquendone;  an  ox  was  observed  to  precipi- 
tate itself,  with  lowered  horns,  upon  one  of  his  herd;  an  ass 
was  seen  to  turn  himself  over,  with  his  legs  in  the  air,  in  the 
Place  Saint  Ernuph,  and  bray  as  ass  never  brayed  before; 
a  sheep,  actually  a  sheep,  defended  valiantly  the  cutlets 
within  him  from  the  butcher's  knife. 

Van  Tricasse,  the  burgomaster,  was  forced  to  make  police 
rules  and  regulations  concerning  the  domestic  animals  as, 
seized  with  lunacy,  they  rendered  the  streets  of  Quiquendone 
unsafe. 

But  alas!  if  the  animals  were  mad,  the  men  were  scarcely 
less  so.  No  age  was  spared  by  the  scourge.  Babies  soon  be- 
came quite  insupportable,  though  till  now  so  easy  to  bring 
up;  and  for  the  first  time  Honore  Syntax,  the  judge,  was 
obliged  to  apply  the  rod  to  his  youthful  offspring. 

There  was  a  kind  of  insurrection  at  the  high  school,  and 
the  dictionaries  became  formidable  missiles  in  the  classes. 
The  scholars  would  not  submit  to  be  shut  in,  and,  besides, 
the  infection  took  the  teachers  themselves,  who  overwhelmed 
the  boys  and  girls  with  extravagant  tasks  and  punishments. 

Another  strange  phenomenon  occurred.  All  these  Qui- 
quendonians,  so  sober  before,  whose  chief  food  had  been 
whipped  creams,  committed  wild  excesses  in  their  eating  and 
drinking.  Their  usual  regimen  no  longer  sufficed.  Each 
stomach  was  transformed  into  a  gulf,  and  it  became  neces- 
sary to  fill  this  gulf  by  the  most  energetic  means.  The  con- 
sumption of  the  town  was  trebled.  Instead  of  two  repasts 
they  had  six.  Many  cases  of  indigestion  were  reported. 
The  Counselor  Niklausse  could  not  satisfy  his  hunger.  Van 
Tricasse  found  it  impossible  to  assuage  his  thirst,  and  re- 
mained in  a  state  of  rabid  semi-intoxication. 

In  short,  the  most  alarming  symptoms  manifested  them- 
selves and  increased  from  day  to  day.  Drunken  people  stag- 
gered in  the  streets,  and  these  were  often  citizens  of  high 
position. 


384  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

Dominique  Custos,  the  physician,  had  plenty  to  do  with 
the  heartburns,  inflammations,  and  nervous  affections,  which 
proved  to  what  a  strange  degree  the  nerves  of  the  people  had 
been  irritated. 

There  were  daily  quarrels  and  altercations  in  the  once 
deserted  but  now  crowded  streets  of  Quiquendone;  for  no- 
body could  any  longer  stay  at  home.  It  v^as  necessary  to 
establish  a  new  police  force  to  control  the  disturbers  of  the 
public  peace.  A  prison  cage  was  established  in  the  Town 
Hall,  and  speedily  became  full,  night  and  day,  of  refractory 
offenders.     Commissary  Passauf  was  in  despair. 

A  marriage  was  concluded  in  less  than  two  months, — 
such  a  thing  had  never  been  seen  before.  Yes,  the  son  of 
Rupp,  the  schoolmaster,  wedded  the  daughter  of  Augustine 
de  Rovere,  and  that  fifty-seven  days  only  after  he  had  peti- 
tioned for  her  hand  and  heart ! 

Other  marriages  were  decided  upon,  which,  in  old  times, 
would  have  remained  in  doubt  and  discussion  for  years.  The 
burgomaster  perceived  that  his  own  daughter,  the  charming 
Suzel,  was  escaping  from  his  hands. 

As  for  dear  Tatanemance,  she  had  dared  to  sound  Com- 
missary Passauf  on  the  subject  of  a  union,  which  seemed 
to  her  to  combine  every  element  of  happiness,  fortune,  honor, 
youth ! 

At  last, — to  reach  the  depths  of  abomination, — a  duel 
took  place !  Yes,  a  duel  with  pistols — horse-pistols — at  sev- 
enty-five paces,  with  ball  cartridges.  And  between  whom.? 
Our  readers  will  never  believe! 

Between  M.  Frantz  Niklausse,  the  gentle  angler,  and 
young  Simon  Collaert,  the  wealthy  banker's  son. 

And  the  cause  of  this  duel  was  the  burgomaster's  daugh- 
ter, for  whom  Simon  discovered  himself  to  be  fired  with  pas- 
sion, and  whom  he  refused  to  yield  to  the  claims  of  an  au- 
dacious rival ! 


CHAPTER  XI 
In  which  the  Quiquendonians  Adopt  an  Heroic  Resolution 

We  have  seen  to  what  a  deplorable  condition  the  people  of 
Quiquendone  were  reduced.  Their  heads  were  in  a  ferment. 
They  no  longer  knew  or  recognized  themselves.    The  most 

V.  VII  Vern© 


AN    HEROIC    RESOLUTION  385 

peaceable  citizens  had  become  quarrelsome.  If  you  looked 
at  them  askance,  they  would  speedily  send  you  a  challenge. 
Some  let  their  mustaches  grow,  and  several — the  most  bel- 
ligerent— curled  them  up  at  the  ends. 

This  being  the  condition,  the  administration  of  the  town 
and  the  maintenance  of  order  in  the  streets  became  difficult 
tasks,  for  the  government  had  not  been  organized  for  such 
a  state  of  things.  The  burgomaster — that  worthy  Van  Tri- 
casse  whom  we  have  seen  so  placid,  so  dull,  so  incapable  of 
coming  to  any  decision — the  burgomaster  became  intractable. 
His  house  resounded  with  the  sharpness  of  his  voice.  He 
made  twenty  decisions  a  day,  scolding  his  officials,  and  him- 
self enforcing  the  regulations  of  his  administration. 

Ah,  what  a  change!  The  amiable  and  tranquil  mansion 
of  the  burgomaster,  that  good  Flemish  home — where  was 
its  former  calm?  What  changes  had  taken  place  in  your 
household  economy?  Madame  Van  Tricasse  had  become 
acrid,  whimsical,  harsh.  Her  husband  sometimes  suc- 
ceeded in  drowning  her  voice  by  talking  louder  than  she,  but 
could  not  silence  her.  The  petulant  humor  of  this  worthy 
dame  was  excited  by  everything.  Nothing  went  right.  The 
servants  offended  her  every  moment.  Tatanemance,  her 
sister-in-law,  who  was  not  less  irritable,  replied  sharply  to 
her.  M.  Van  Tricasse  naturally  supported  Lotche,  his  serv- 
ant as  is  the  case  in  all  good  households,  and  this  permanently 
exasperated  Madame,  who  constantly  disputed,  discussed, 
and  made  scenes  with  her  husband. 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter  with  us?"  cried  the  un- 
happy burgomaster.  "  What  is  this  fire  that  is  devouring 
us?  Are  we  possessed  with  the  devil?  Ah,  Madame  Van 
Tricasse,  Madame  Van  Tricasse,  you  wall  end  by  making  me 
die  before  you,  and  thus  violate  all  the  traditions  of  the 
family!" 

The  reader  will  not  have  forgotten  the  strange  custom 
by  which  M.  Van  Tricasse  would  become  a  widower  and 
marry  again,  so  as  not  to  break  the  chain  of  descent. 

Meanwhile,  this  disposition  of  all  minds  produced  other 
curious  effects  worthy  of  note.  This  excitement,  the  cause 
of  which  has  so  far  escaped  us,  brought  about  unexpected 
physiological  changes.  Talents,  hitherto  unrecognized,  be- 
trayed themselves.  Aptitudes  were  suddenly  revealed.  Ar- 
tists, before  common-place,  displayed  new  ability.     Politi- 


386  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

cians  and  authors  arose.  Orators  proved  themselves  equal 
to  the  most  arduous  debates,  and  on  every  question  inflamed 
audiences  which  were  quite  ready  to  be  inflamed.  From 
the  sessions  of  the  council,  this  movement  spread  to  the  pub- 
lic political  meetings,  and  a  club  was  formed  at  Quiquen- 
done ;  while  twenty  newspapers,  the  Quiqujndone  Signal,  the 
Qidquendone  Impartial,  the  Quiquendone  Radical,  and  so  on, 
written  in  an  inflammatory  style,  raised  the  most  important 
questions. 

But  what  about?  you  will  ask.  Apropos  of  everything, 
and  of  nothing;  apropos  of  the  Oudenarde  tower,  which  was 
falling,  and  which  some  wished  to  pull  down,  and  others  to 
prop  up;  apropos  of  the  police  regulations  issued  by  the 
council,  which  some  obstinate  citizens  threatened  to  resist; 
apropos  of  the  sweeping  of  the  gutters,  repairing  the  sewers, 
and  so  on.  Nor  did  the  enraged  orators  confine  themselves 
to  the  internal  administration  of  the  town.  Carried  on  by 
the  current,  they  went  further,  and  essayed  to  plunge  their 
fellow-citizens  into  the  hazards  of  war. 

Quiquendone  had  had  for  eight  or  nine  hundred  years  a, 
casus  belli  of  the  best  quality;  but  she  had  preciously  laid  it 
up  like  a  relic,  and  there  had  seemed  some  probability  that 
it  would  become  efTete,  and  no  longer  serviceable.  This 
was  what  had  given  rise  to  the  casus  belli.  It  is  not  gen- 
erally known  that  Quiquendone,  in  this  cosy  corner  of  Flan- 
ders, lies  next  to  the  little  town  of  Virgamen.  The  terri- 
tories of  the  two  communities  are  contiguous.  Well,  in 
1 185,  some  time  before  Count  Baldwin's  departure  to  the 
Crusades,  a  Virgamen  cow — not  a  cow  belonging  to  a  cit- 
izen, but  a  cow  which  was  common  property,  let  it  be  ob- 
served— audaciously  ventured  to  pasture  on  the  territory  of 
Quiquendone.  This  unfortunate  beast  had  scarcely  eaten 
three  mouth  fuls;  but  the  offense,  the  abuse,  the  crime — 
whatever  you  will — was  committed  and  duly  indicted,  for  the 
magistrates,  at  that  time  had  already  begun  to  know  how 
to  write. 

"  We  will  take  revenge  at  the  proper  moment,"  said  sim- 
ply Natalis  Van  Tricasse,  the  thirty-second  predecessor  of 
the  burgomaster  of  this  story,  "  and  the  Virgamenians  will 
lose  nothing  by  waiting." 

The  Virgamenians  were  forewarned.  They  waited,  think- 
ing, without  doubt,  that  the  remembrance  of  the  offense 


AN    HEROIC   RESOLUTION  387 

would  fade  away  with  the  lapse  of  time;  and  really,  for 
several  centuries,  they  lived  on  good  terms  with  their  neigh- 
bors of  Quiquendone. 

But  they  counted  without  their  hosts,  or  rather  without 
this  strange  epidemic,  which,  radically  changing  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Quiquendonians,  aroused  their  dormant  ven- 
geance. It  was  at  the  club  of  the  Rue  Monstrelet  that  the 
truculent  orator  Schut,  abruptly  introducing  the  subject  to 
his  hearers,  inflamed  them  with  the  expressions  and  meta- 
phors used  on  such  occasions.  He  recalled  the  offense,  the 
injury  which  had  been  done  to  Quiquendone,  and  which  a 
nation  "  jealous  of  its  rights  "  could  not  admit  as  a  prece- 
dent; he  showed  the  insult  to  be  still  existing,  the  wound 
still  bleeding;  he  spoke  of  certain  special  head-shakings  on 
the  part  of  the  people  of  Virgamen,  which  indicated  in  what 
degree  of  contempt  they  regarded  the  people  of  Quiquen- 
done ;  he  appealed  to  his  fellow-citizens,  who,  unconsciously 
perhaps,  had  supported  this  mortal  insult  for  long  centuries ; 
he  adjured  the  "  children  of  the  ancient  town"  to  have  no 
other  purpose  than  to  obtain  a  substantial  reparation.  And, 
lastly,  he  made  an  appeal  to  "  all  the  living  energies  of  the 
nation  " ! 

With  what  enthusiasm  these  words,  so  new  to  Quiquen- 
donian  ears,  were  greeted,  may  be  surmised,  but  cannot  be 
told.  All  the  auditors  rose,  and  with  extended  arms  de- 
manded war  with  loud  cries.  Never  had  the  Advocate 
Schut  achieved  such  a  success,  and  it  must  be  avowed  that 
his  triumphs  were  not  few. 

The  burgomaster,  the  counselor,  all  the  notabilities  pres- 
ent at  this  memorable  meeting,  would  have  vainly  attempted 
to  resist  the  popular  outburst.  Besides,  they  had  no  de- 
sire to  do  so,  and  cried  as  loud,  if  not  louder,  than  the  rest: 
"  To  the  frontier !     To  the  frontier !  " 

As  the  frontier  was  but  three  kilometers  from  the  walls  of 
Quiquendone,  it  is  certain  that  the  Virgamenians  ran  a  real 
danger,  for  they  might  easily  be  invaded  without  having 
had  time  to  look  about  them. 

Meanwhile,  Josse  Lietrinck,  the  worthy  chemist,  who 
alone  had  preserved  his  senses  on  this  grave  occasion,  tried 
to  make  his  fellow-citizens  comprehend  that  guns,  cannon 
and  generals  were  equally  wanting  to  their  design.  They 
replied  to  him,  not  without  many  impatient  gestures,  that 


388  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

these  generals,  cannon,  and  guns  would  be  improvised ;  that 
the  right  and  love  of  country  sufficed,  and  rendered  a  people 

irresistible. 

Hereupon  the  burgomaster  himself  came  forward,  and  m 
a  sublime  harangue  make  short  work  of  those  pusillanimous 
people  who  disguise  their  fear  under  a  veil  of  prudence, 
which  veil  he  tore  off  with  a  patriotic  hand.  At  this  sally 
it  seemed  as  if  the  hall  would  fall  in  under  the  applause. 

The  vote  was  eagerly  demanded,  and  was  taken  amid  ac- 
clamations. The  cries  of  "  To  Virgamen !  to  Virgamen !  " 
redoubled. 

The  burgomaster  then  took  it  upon  himself  to  put  the 
armies  in  motion,  and  in  the  name  of  the  town  he  promised 
the  honors  of  a  triumph,  such  as  was  given  in  the  times  of 
the  Romans  to  that  one  of  its  generals  who  should  return 
victorious. 

Meanwhile,  Josse  Lietrinck,  who  was  an  obstinate  fellow, 
and  did  not  regard  himself  as  beaten,  though  he  really  had 
been,  insisted  on  making  another  observation.  He  wished 
to  remark  that  the  triumph  was  only  accorded  at  Rome  to 
those  victorious  generals  who  had  killed  five  thousand  of 
the  enemy. 

"  Well,  well !  "  cried  the  meeting  deliriously. 

"  And  as  the  population  of  the  town  of  Virgamen  consists 
of  but  three  thousand,  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  inhabi- 
tants, it  would  be  difficult,  unless  the  same  person  was  killed 

several  times "    But  they  did  not  let  the  luckless  logician 

finish,  and  he  was  turned  out,  hustled  and  bruised. 

"  Citizens,"  said  Pulmacher,  the  grocer,  who  usually  sold 
groceries  by  retail,  "  whatever  this  cowardly  apothecary  may 
have  said,  I  engage  by  myself  to  kill  five  thousand  Virga- 
menians,  if  you  will  accept  my  services !  " 

"  Five  thousand,  five  hundred !"  cried  a  yet  more  resolute 
patriot. 

"  Six  thousand,  six  hundred !  "  retorted  the  grocer. 

"  Seven  thousand !  "  cried  Jean  Orbideck,  the  confectioner 
of  the  Rue  Hembling,  who  was  on  the  road  to  fortune  by 
making  whipped  creams. 

"  Adjudged !  "  exclaimed  the  burgomaster  Van  Tricasse, 
on  finding  that  no  one  else  rose  on  the  bid. 

And  this  was  how  Jean  Orbideck,  the  confectioner,  became 
general-in-chief  of  the  forces  of  Quiquendone. 


CHAPTER  XII 

In  which  Ygene,  the  Assistant,  Gives  a  Reasonable  Piece  of 
Advice,  which  is  Eagerly  Rejected  by  Doctor  Ox 

"  Well,  master,"  said  Ygene  next  day,  as  he  poured  the 
pails  of  sulphuric  acid  into  the  troughs  of  the  great  battery. 

"Well,"  resumed  Doctor  Ox,  "was  I  not  right?  See 
to  what  not  only  the  physical  developments  of  a  whole  na- 
tion, but  its  morality,  its  dignity,  its  talents,  its  political 
sense,  have  come!     It  is  only  a  question  of  molecules." 

"No  doubt;  but " 

"  But " 

"  Do  you  not  think  that  matters  have  gone  far  enough, 
and  that  these  poor  devils  should  not  be  excited  beyond  meas- 
ure.?" 

"No,  no!"  cried  the  doctor;  "no!  I  will  go  on  to  the 
end!" 

"As  you  will,  master;  the  experiment,  however,  seems  to 
me  conclusive,  and  I  think  it  time  to " 

"  To " 

"  To  close  the  valve." 

"You'd  better!'  cried  Doctor  Ox.  "If  you  attempt  it, 
I'll  throttle  you!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

In  which  it  is  Once  More  Proved  that  by  Taking  High 
Ground  all  Human  Littlenesses  may  be  Overlooked 

"  You  say?  "  asked  the  Burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  of  the 
Counselor  Niklausse. 

"  I  say  that  this  war  Is  necessary,"  replied  Niklausse, 
firmly,  "  and  that  the  time  has  come  to  avenge  this  insult." 

"  And  I  repeat  to  you,"  snapped  the  burgomaster  tartly, 
"  that  if  the  people  of  Quiquendone  do  not  profit  by  this  oc- 
casion to  vindicate  their  rights,  they  will  be  unworthy  of 
their  name." 

"  And  as  for  me,  I  maintain  that  we  ought,  without  delay, 
to  collect  our  forces  and  lead  them  to  the  front." 

"  Really,  monsieur,  really !  "  replied  Van  Tricasse.  "  And 
do  you  speak  thus  to  7nef  " 

"  To  yourself,  monsieur  the  burgomaster;  and  you  shall 
hear  the  truth,  unwelcome  as  it  may  be." 

389 


390  DR.    OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

"And  you  shall  hear  it  yourself,  counselor,"  returned 
Van  Tricasse  in  a  passion,  "  for  it  will  come  better  from  my 
mouth  than  from  yours!  Yes,  monsieur,  yes,  any  delay 
would  be  dishonorable.  The  town  of  Quiquendone  has 
waited  nine  hundred  years  for  the  moment  to  take  its  re- 
venge, and  whatever  you  may  say,  whether  it  pleases  you  or 
not,  we  shall  march  upon  the  enemy." 

"  Ah,  you  take  it  thus !  "  replied  Niklausse  harshly.  "  Very 
well,  monsieur,  we  will  march  without  you,  if  it  does  not 
please  you  to  go." 

"  A  burgomaster's  place  is  in  the  front  rank,  monsieur !  " 

"  And  that  of  a  counselor  also,  monsieur." 

"You  insult  me  by  thwarting  all  my  wishes,"  cried  the 
burgomaster,  whose  fists  seemd  likely  to  hit  out  before  long. 

"And  you  insult  me  equally  by  doubting  my  patriotism," 
cried  Niklausse,  who  was  equally  ready  for  a  tussle. 

"  I  tell  you,  monsieur,  that  the  army  of  Quiquendone  shall 
be  put  in  motion  within  two  days ! " 

"  And  I  repeat  to  you,  monsieur,  that  forty-eight  hours 
shall  not  pass  before  we  shall  have  marched  upon  the 
enemy ! " 

It  is  easy  to  see,  from  this  fragment  of  conversation,  that 
the  two  speakers  supported  exactly  the  same  idea.  Both 
wished  for  hostilities ;  but  as  their  excitement  disposed  them 
to  altercation,  Niklausse  would  not  listen  to  Van  Tricasse, 
nor  Van  Tricasse  to  Niklausse.  Had  they  been  of  contrary 
opinions  on  this  grave  question,  had  the  burgomaster  favored 
war  and  the  counselor  insisted  on  peace,  the  quarrel  could 
not  have  been  more  violent.  These  two  old  friends  gazed 
fiercely  at  each  other.  By  the  quickened  beating  of  their 
hearts,  their  red  faces,  their  contracted  pupils,  the  trembling 
of  their  muscles,  their  harsh  voices,  it  might  be  conjectured 
that  they  were  ready  to  come  to  blows. 

But  the  striking  of  a  large  clock  happily  checked  the  ad- 
versaries at  the  moment  when  they  seemed  on  the  point  of 
assaulting  each  other.  "  At  last  the  hour  has  come !  "  cried 
the  burgomaster. 

"  What  hour?  "  asked  the  counselor. 

"  The  hour  to  go  to  the  belfry  tower." 

"  It  is  true,  and  whether  it  pleases  you  or  not,  I  shall  go, 


monsieur." 


"  And  I,  too." 


HUMAN    LITTLENESS  391 


ft 


Let  us  go !  " 
Let  us  go !  " 

It  might  have  been  been  supposed  from  these  last  words 
that  a  colHsion  had  occurred,  and  that  the  adversaries  were 
proceeding  to  a  duel ;  but  it  was  not  so.  It  had  been  agreed 
that  the  burgomaster  and  the  counselor,  as  the  two  principal 
dignitaries  of  the  town,  should  repair  to  the  Town  Hall,  and 
there  show  themselves  on  the  high  tower  which  overlooked 
Quiquendone;  that  they  should  examine  the  surrounding 
country,  so  as  to  make  the  best  strategic  plan  for  the  ad- 
vance of  their  troops. 

Though  they  v^ere  in  accord  on  this  subject,  they  did  not 
cease  to  quarrel  bitterly  as  they  went.  Their  loud  voices 
were  heard  resounding  in  the  streets ;  but  all  the  passers-by 
were  now  accustomed  to  this;  the  exasperation  of  the  dig- 
nitaries seemed  quite  natural,  and  no  one  took  notice  of  it. 
Under  the  circumstances,  a  calm  man  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  a  monster. 

The  burgomaster  and  the  counselor,  having  reached  the 
porch  of  the  belfry,  were  in  a  paroxysm  of  fury.  They  were 
no  longer  red,  but  pale.  This  terrible  discussion,  though 
they  had  the  same  idea,  had  produced  internal  spasms  and 
€veryone  knows  that  paleness  shows  that  anger  has  reached 
its  last  limits. 

At  the  foot  of  the  narrow  tower  staircase  there  was  a 
real  explosion.  Who  should  go  up  first  ?  Who  should  first 
creep  up  the  winding  steps?  Truth  compels  us  to  say  that 
there  was  a  tussle,  and  that  the  Counselor  Niklausse,  for- 
getful of  all  that  he  owed  to  his  superior,  to  the  supreme 
magistrate  of  the  town,  pushed  Van  Tricasse  violently  back, 
and  dashed  up  the  staircase  first. 

Both  ascended,  denouncing  and  raging  at  each  other  at 
•every  step.  It  was  to  be  feared  that  a  terrible  climax  would 
occur  on  the  summit  of  the  tower,  which  rose  three  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  feet  above  the  pavement. 

The  two  enemies  soon  got  out  of  breath,  however,  and  In 
a  little  while,  at  the  eightieth  step,  they  began  to  move  up 
heavily,  breathing  loud  and  short. 

Then — was  it  because  of  their  being  out  of  breath? — their 
wrath  subsided,  or  at  least  only  betrayed  itself  by  a  succes- 
sion of  unseemly  epithets.  They  became  silent,  and,  strange 
to  say,  it  seemed  as  if  their  excitement  diminished  as  they 


392  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

ascended  higher  above  the  town.  A  sort  of  lull  took  place 
in  their  minds.  Their  brains  became  cooler,  and  simmered 
down  like  a  coffee  pot  when  taken  away  from  the  fire?  Why? 

We  cannot  answer  this  "why";  but  the  truth  is  that, 
having  reached  a  certain  landing-stage,  two  hundred  and 
sixty-six  feet  above  ground,  the  two  adversaries  sat  down 
and,  really  more  calm,  looked  at  each  other  without  any  anger 
in  their  faces. 

*'  How  high  it  is !  "  said  the  burgomaster,  passing  his  hand- 
kerchief over  his  rubicund  face. 

"  Very  high !  "  returned  the  counselor.  "  Do  you  know 
that  we  have  gone  fourteen  feet  higher  than  the  Church  of 
Saint  Michael  at  Hamburg?" 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  the  burgomaster  in  a  tone  of  vanity] 
very  pardonable  in  the  chief  magistrate  of  Quiquendone. 

The  two  notabilities  soon  resumed  their  ascent,  casting 
curious  glances  through  the  loopholes  pierced  in  the  tower 
walls.  The  burgomaster  had  taken  the  head  of  the  pro- 
cession, without  any  remark  on  the  part  of  the  counselor. 
It  even  happened  that  at  about  the  three  hundred  and  fourth 
step,  Van  Tricasse  being  completely  tired  out,  Niklausse 
kindly  pushed  him  from  behind.  The  burgomaster  offered 
no  resistance  to  this,  and,  when  he  reached  the  platform  of 
the  tower,  said  graciously:  "Thanks,  Niklausse;  I  will  do 
the  same  for  you  one  day." 

A  little  while  before  it  had  been  two  wild  beasts,  ready 
to  tear  each  other  to  pieces,  who  had  presented  themselves 
at  the  foot  of  the  tower;  it  was  now  two  friends  who  reached 
its  summit. 

The  weather  was  superb.  It  was  the  month  of  May. 
The  sun  had  absorbed  all  the  vapors.  What  a  pure  and 
limpid  atmosphere!  The  most  minute  objects  over  a  broad 
space  might  be  discerned.  The  walls  of  Virgamen,  glisten- 
ing in  their  whiteness, — its  red,  pointed  roofs,  its  belfries 
shining  in  the  sunlight — appeared  a  few  miles  off.  And  this 
was  the  town  that  was  foredoomed  to  all  the  horrors  of  fire 
and  pillage ! 

The  burgomaster  and  the  counselor  sat  down  beside  each 
other  on  a  small  stone  bench,  like  two  worthy  people  whose 
souls  were  in  close  sympathy.  As  they  recovered  breath, 
they  looked  around;  then,  after  a  brief  silence:  "  How  fine 
this  is !  "  cried  the  burgomaster. 


HUMAN    LITTLENESS  393 

"  Yes,  it  is  admirable !  "  replied  the  counselor.  "  Does  it 
not  seem  to  you,  my  good  Van  Tricasse,  that  humanity  is 
destined  to  dwell  rather  at  such  heights,  than  to  crawl  about 
on  the  surface  of  our  globe?  " 

*'  I  agree  with  you,  honest  Niklausse,"  returned  the  burgo- 
master, "  I  agree  with  you.  You  seize  sentiment  better 
when  you  get  clear  of  nature.  You  breathe  it  in  every  sense ! 
It  is  at  such  heights  that  philosophers  should  be  formed 
and  that  sages  should  live,  above  the  miseries  of  this 
world!" 

"  Shall  we  go  around  the  platform?  "  asked  the  counselor. 

"  Let  us  go  around  the  platform,"  re{)lied  the  burgo- 
master. 

And  the  two  friends,  arm  in  arm,  and  putting,  as  formerly, 
long  pauses  between  their  questions  and  answers,  examined 
every  point  of  the  horizon. 

"  It  is  at  least  seventeen  years  since  I  have  ascended  the 
belfry  tower,''  said  Van  Tricasse. 

"  I  do  not  think  I  ever  came  up  before,"  replied  Niklausse ; 
"  and  I  regret  it,  for  the  view  from  this  height  is  sublime ! 
Do  you  see,  my  friend,  the  pretty  stream  of  the  Vaar,  as  it 
winds  among  the  trees?  " 

"And,  beyond,  the  heights  of  Saint  Hermandad!  How 
gracefully  they  shut  in  the  horizon!  Observe  that  border 
of  green  trees,  which  nature  has  so  picturesquely  arranged! 
Ah,  nature,  nature,  Niklausse!  Could  the  hand  of  man  ever 
hope  to  rival  her?  " 

"  It  is  enchanting,  my  excellent  friend,"  replied  the  coun- 
selor. "  See  the  flocks  and  herds  lying  in  the  verdant  pas- 
ture,— the  oxen,  the  cows,  the  sheep !  " 

"  And  the  laborers  going  to  the  fields !  You  would  say 
they  were  Arcadian  shepherds ;  they  only  want  a  bagpipe !  " 

"And  over  all  this  fertile  country  the  beautiful  blue  sky, 
which  no  vapor  dims !  Ah,  Niklausse,  one  might  become  a 
poet  here !  I  do  not  understand  why  Saint  Simeon  Stylites 
was  not  one  of  the  greatest  poets  of  the  world." 

"  It  was  because,  perhaps,  his  column  was  not  high 
enough,"  replied  the  counselor  with  a  gentle  smile. 

At  this  moment  the  chimes  of  Quiquendone  rang  out. 
The  clear  bells  played  one  of  their  most  melodious  airs. 
The  two  friends  listened  in  ecstasy. 

Then  in  his  calm  voice,  Van  Tricasse  said :  "  But  what. 


394  DR-    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

friend  Niklausse,  did  we  come  to  the  top  of  this  tower 
to  do?" 

"  In  fact,"  replied  the  counselor,  "  we  have  permitted  our- 
selves to  be  carried  away  by  our  reveries " 

"What  did  we  come  here  to  do?"  repeated  the  burgo- 
master. 

"  We  came,"  said  Niklausse,  "  to  breathe  this  pure  air, 
which  human  weaknesses  have  not  corrupted." 

"Well,  shall  we  descend,  friend  Niklausse?" 

"  Let  us  descend,  friend  Van  Tricasse." 

They  gave  a  parting  glance  at  the  splendid  panorama 
which  was  spread  before  their  eyes;  then  the  burgomaster 
passed  down  first,  and  began  to  descend  with  a  slow  and 
measured  pace.  The  counselor  followed  a  few  steps  be- 
hind. They  reached  the  landing  stage  at  which  they  had 
stopped  on  ascending.  Already  their  cheeks  began  to  red- 
den.    They  tarried  a  moment,  then  resumed  their  descent. 

In  a  few  moments  Van  Tricasse  begged  Niklausse  to  go 
more  slowly,  as  he  felt  him  on  his  heels,  and  it  "  worried 
him."  It  even  did  more  than  worry  him;  for  twenty  steps 
lower  down  he  ordered  the  counselor  to  stop,  that  he  might 
get  on  some  distance  ahead. 

The  counselor  replied  that  he  did  not  wish  to  remain  witli 
his  leg  in  the  air  to  await  the  good  pleasure  of  the  burgo- 
master, and  kept  on. 

Van  Tricasse  retorted  with  a  rude  expression. 

The  counselor  responded  by  an  insulting  allusion  to  the 
burgomaster's  age,  destined  as  he  was,  by  his  family  tradi- 
tions, to  marry  a  second  time. 

The  burgomaster  went  down  twenty  steps  more  and 
warned  Niklausse  that  this  should  not  pass  thus. 

Niklausse  replied  that,  at  all  events,  he  would  pass  down 
first ;  and,  the  space  being  very  narrow,  the  two  dignitaries 
came  into  collision,  and  found  themselves  in  utter  darkness. 
The  words  "  blockhead  "  and  "  booby  "  were  the  mildest 
which  they  now  applied  to  each  other. 

"  We  shall  see,  stupid  beast !  "  cried  the  burgomaster, — 
"  we  shall  see  what  figure  you  will  make  in  this  war,  and  in 
what  rank  you  will  march !  " 

"  In  the  rank  that  precedes  yours,  you  silly  old  fool !  " 
replied  Niklausse. 

Then  there  were  other  cries,  and  it  seemed  as  if  bodies 


HUMAN    LITTLENESS  [395 

were  rolling  over  each  other.  What  was  going  on?  Why- 
were  these  dispositions  so  quickly  changed?  Why  were  the 
gentle  sheep  of  the  tower's  summit  metamorphosed  into 
tigers  two  hundred  feet  below  it? 

However  this  might  be,  the  guardian  of  the  tower,  hearing 
the  noise,  opened  the  door,  just  at  the  moment  when  the 
two  adversaries,  bruised,  and  with  protruding  eyes,  were  in 
the  act  of  tearing  each  other's  hair, — fortunately  they  wore 
wigs. 

"  You  shall  give  me  satisfaction  for  this !  "  cried  the  bur- 
gomaster, shaking  his  fist  under  his  adversary's  nose. 

"  Whenever  you  please !  "  growled  the  Counselor  Nik- 
lausse,  attempting  to  respond  with  a  vigorous  kick. 

The  guardian,  who  was  himself  in  a  passion, — I  cannot 
say  why, — thought  the  scene  a  very  natural  one.  I  know 
not  what  excitement  urged  him  to  take  part  in  it,  but  he 
controlled  himself,  and  went  off  to  announce  throughout 
the  neighborhood  that  a  hostile  meeting  was  about  to  take 
place  between  the  Burgomaster  Van  Tricasse  and  the  Coun- 
selor Niklausse. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

In  which  Matters  go  so  far  that  the  Inhabitants  of  Qiiiquen- 
done,  the  Reader,  and  even  the  Author,  De- 
mand an  Immediate  Denouement. 

The  last  incident  proves  to  what  a  pitch  of  excitement  the 
Quiquendonians  had  been  wrought.  The  two  oldest  friends 
in  the  town,  and  the  most  gentle — before  the  advent  of  the 
epidemic,  to  reach  this  degree  of  violence!  And  that,  too, 
only  a  few  minutes  after  their  old  mutual  sympathy,  their 
amiable  instincts,  their  contemplative  habit,  had  been  restored 
at  the  summit  of  the  tower! 

On  learning  what  was  going  on.  Doctor  Ox  could  not 
contain  his  joy.  He  resisted  the  arguments  w^hich  Ygene, 
who  saw  what  a  serious  turn  affairs  were  taking,  addressed 
to  him.  Besides,  both  of  them  were  infected  by  the  general 
fury.  They  were  not  less  excited  than  the  rest  of  the  pop- 
ulation, and  they  ended  by  quarreling  as  violently  as  the 
burgomaster  and  the  counselor. 

Besides,  one  question  eclipsed  all  others,  and  the  intended 


396  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

duels  were  postponed  to  the  Issue  of  the  Virgamenian  diffi- 
culty. No  man  had  the  right  to  shed  his  blood  uselessly, 
when  it  belonged,  to  the  last  drop,  to  his  country  in  danger. 
Ths  affair  was,  in  short,  a  grave  one,  and  there  was  no  with- 
drawing from  it. 

The  Burgomaster  Van  Tricasse,  despite  the  war-like  ardor 
with  which  he  was  fillefl,  had  not  thought  it  best  to  throw 
himself  upon  the  enemy  without  warning  him.  He  had, 
therefore,  through  the  medium  of  the  rural  policeman,  Hot- 
tering,  sent  to  demand  reparation  of  the  Virgamenians  for 
the  offense  committed,  in  1195,  on  the  Quiquendonian  ter- 
ritory. 

The  authorities  of  Virgamen  could  not  at  first  imagine 
of  what  the  envoy  spoke,  and  the  latter,  despite  his  official 
character,  was  conducted  back  to  the  frontier  very  cavalierly. 

Van  Tricasse  then  sent  one  of  the  aides-de-camp  of  the 
confectioner-general,  citizen  Hildevert  Shuman,  a  manufac- 
turer of  barley  sugar,  a  very  firm  and  energetic  man,  who 
carried  to  the  authorities  of  Virgamen  the  original  minute 
of  the  indictment  drawn  up  in  1195  by  order  of  the  Burgo- 
master Natalis  Van  Tricasse. 

The  authorities  of  Virgamen  burst  out  laughing,  and 
served  the  aide-de-camp  in  the  same  manner  as  the  rural 
policeman. 

The  burgomaster  then  assembled  the  dignitaries  of  the 
town. 

A  letter,  remarkably  and  vigorously  drawn  up,  was  writ- 
ten as  an  ultimatum;  the  cause  of  quarrel  was  plainly  stated, 
and  a  delay  of  twenty- four  hours  was  accorded  to  the  guilty 
city  in  which  to  repair  the  outrage  done  to  Quiquendone. 

The  letter  was  sent  off,  and  returned  a  few  hours  after- 
wards, torn  to  bits,  which  made  so  many  fresh  insults.  The 
Virgamenians  knew  of  old  the  forbearance  and  equanimity 
of  the  Quiquendoniaas,  and  made  sport  of  them  and  their 
demand,  of  their  casus  belli  and  their  ultimatum. 

There  was  only  one  thing  left  to  do, — to  have  recourse  to 
arms,  to  invoke  the  God  of  battles,  and,  after  the  Prussian 
fashion,  to  hurl  themselves  upon  the  Virgamenians  before 
the  latter  could  be  prepared. 

This  decision  was  made  by  the  council  in  solemn  conclave, 
in  which  cries,  objurgations,  and  menacing  gestures  were 
mingled  with  unexampled  violence.     An  assembly  of  idiots, 


AN    IMMEDIATE    DENOUEMENT  397 

a  congress  of  madmen,  a  club  of  maniacs,  would  not  have 
been  more  tumultuous. 

As  soon  as  the  declaration  of  war  was  known,  General 
Jean  Orbideck  assembled  his  troops,  perhaps  two  thousand, 
three  hundred  and  ninety-three  combatants  from  a  popula- 
tion of  two  thousand,  three  hundred  and  ninety-three  souls. 
The  women,  the  children,  the  old  men,  were  joined  with  the 
able-bodied  males.  The  guns  of  the  town  had  been  put 
under  requisition.  Five  had  been  found,  two  of  which  were 
without  cocks,  and  these  had  been  distributed  to  the  advance 
guard.  The  artillery  was  composed  of  the  old  culverin  of 
the  chateau,  taken  in  1339  at  the  attack  on  Quesnoy,  one  of 
the  first  occasions  of  the  use  of  cannon  in  history,  and  which 
had  not  been  fired  off  for  five  centuries.  Happily  for  those 
who  were  appointed  to  take  it  in  charge,  there  were  no  pro- 
jectiles with  which  to  load  it ;  but  such  as  it  was,  this  engine 
might  well  impose  on  the  enemy.  As  for  side-arms,  they 
had  been  taken  from  the  museum  of  antiquities, — flint 
hatchets,  helmets.  Prankish  battle  axes,  javelins,  halberds, 
rapiers,  and  so  on ;  and  also  in  those  domestic  arsenals  com- 
monly known  as  "  cupboards  "  and  "  kitchens."  But  cour- 
age, the  right,  hatred  of  the  foreigner,  the  yearning  for  ven- 
geance, were  to  take  the  place  of  more  perfect  engines,  and 
to  replace — at  least  it  was  hoped  so — the  modern  mitrail- 
leuses and  breech-loaders. 

The  troops  were  passed  in  review.  Not  a  citizen  failed 
at  the  roll  call.  General  Orbideck,  whose  seat  on  horse  back 
was  far  from  firm,  and  whose  steed  was  a  vicious  beast,  was 
thrown  three  times  in  front  of  the  army;  but  he  got  up 
again  without  injury,  and  this  was  regarded  as  a  favorable 
omen.  The  burgomaster,  the  counselor,  the  civil  commissary, 
the  chief  justice,  the  school  teacher,  the  banker,  the  rector, — 
in  short,  all  the  notabilities  of  the  town, — marched  at  the 
head.  There  were  no  tears  shed,  either  by  mothers,  sisters, 
or  daughters.  They  urged  on  their  husbands,  fathers, 
brothers  to  the  combat  and  even  followed  them  and  formed 
the  rear  guard,  under  the  orders  of  the  courageous  Madame 
Van  Tricasse. 

The  crier,  Jean  Mistrol,  blew  his  trumpet;  the  army  moved 
off,  and  directed  itself,  with  ferocious  cries,  towards  the 
Oudenarde  gate. 


398  DR.    OX'S    EXPERIMENT 

At  the  moment  when  the  head  of  the  column  was  about 
to  pass  the  walls  of  the  town,  a  man  threw  himself  before  it. 

"  Stop !  stop !  Fools  that  you  are !  "  he  cried.  "  Suspend 
your  blows !  Let  me  shut  the  valve !  You  are  not  changed 
in  nature!  You  are  good  citizens,  quiet  and  peaceable!  If 
you  are  so  excited,  it  is  my  master,  Doctor  Ox's,  fault !  It 
is  an  experiment !  Under  the  pretext  of  lighting  your  streets 
with  oxyhydric  gas,  he  has  saturated " 

The  assistant  was  beside  himself ;  but  he  could  not  finish. 
At  the  instant  that  the  doctor's  secret  was  about  to  escape 
his  lips.  Doctor  Ox  himself  pounced  upon  the  unhappy 
Ygene  in  an  indescribable  rage,  and  shut  his  mouth  by  blows 
with  his  fist. 

It  was  a  battle.  The  burgomaster,  the  counselor,  the 
dignitaries,  who  had  stopped  short  on  Ygene's  sudden  ap- 
pearance, carried  away  in  turn  by  their  exasperation,  rushed 
upon  the  two  strangers,  without  waiting  to  hear  either  the 
one  or  the  other. 

Doctor  Ox  and  his  assistant,  beaten  and  lashed,  were 
about  to  be  dragged,  by  order  of  Van  Tricasse,  to  the  round- 
house, when •" 


CHAPTER  XV 
In  which  the  Denouement  Takes  Place 

When  a  formidable  explosion  resounded.  All  the  at- 
mosphere which  enveloped  Quiquendone  seemed  on  fire.  A 
flame  of  an  intensity  and  vividness  quite  unwonted  shot  up 
into  the  heavens  like  a  meteor.  Had  it  been  night,  this 
flame  would  have  been  visible  for  ten  leagues  around. 

The  whole  army  of  Quiquendone  fell  to  the  earth,  like  an 
army  of  monks.  Happily  there  were  no  victims;  a  few 
scratches  and  slight  hurts  were  the  only  result.  The  confec- 
tioner, who,  as  chance  would  have  it,  had  not  fallen  from  his 
horse  this  time,  had  his  plume  singed,  and  escaped  without 
any  further  injury. 

What  had  happened? 

Something  very  simple,  as  was  soon  learned;  the  gas 
works  had  just  blown  up.  During  the  absence  of  the  doctor 
and  his  assistant,  some  careless  mistake  had  no  doubt  been 
made.    It  is  not  known  how  or  why  a  communication  had 


THE    DENOUEMENT   TAKES    PLACE      399 

been  established  between  the  reservoir  which  contained  the 
oxygen  and  that  which  inclosed  the  hydrogen.  An  ex- 
plosive mixture  had  resulted  from  the  union  of  these  two 
gases,  to  which  fire  had  accidentally  been  applied. 

This  changed  everything;  but  when  the  army  got  upon  its 
feet  again,  Doctor  Ox  and  his  assistant  Ygene  had  dis- 
appeared. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

In  which  the  Intelligent  Reader  Sees  that  he  has  Guessed 

Correctly,  Despite  all  the  Author's  Precautions 

After  the  explosion,  Quiquendone  immediately  became 
the  peaceable,  phlegmatic,  and  Flemish  town  that  it  formerly 
was. 

After  the  explosion,  which  indeed  did  not  cause  a  very 
lively  sensation,  each  one,  without  knowing  why,  mechan- 
ically took  his  way  home,  the  burgomaster  leaning  on  the 
counselor's  arm,  the  advocate  Schut  going  arm  in  arm  with 
Custos  the  doctor,  Frantz  Niklausse  walking  with  equal  fa- 
miliarity with  Simon  Collaert,  each  going  tranquilly,  noise- 
lessly, without  even  being  conscious  of  what  had  happened, 
and  having  already  forgotten  Virgamen  and  their  revenge. 
The  general  returned  to  his  confections,  and  his  aide-de- 
camp to  the  barley  sugar. 

Thus  everything  had  become  calm  again ;  the  old  existence 
had  been  resumed  by  men  and  beasts,  beasts  and  plants; 
even  by  the  tower  of  Oudenarde  gate,  which  the  explosion — 
these  explosions  are  sometimes  astonishing — had  set  upright 
again ! 

And  from  that  time  never  a  word  was  spoken  more  loudly 
than  another,  never  a  discussion  took  place  in  the  town  of 
Quiquendone.  There  were  no  more  politics,  no  more  clubs, 
no  more  trials,  no  more  policemen!  The  post  of  the  Com- 
missary Passauf  became  once  more  a  sinecure,  and  if  his 
salary  was  not  reduced,  it  was  because  the  burgomaster  and 
the  counselor  could  not  make  up  their  minds  to  decide 
upon  it. 

From  time  to  time,  indeed,  Passauf  flitted,  without  anyone 
suspecting  it,  through  the  dreams  of  the  inconsolable 
Tatanemance. 

As  for  Frantz's  rival,  he  generously  abandoned  the  charm- 


40O  DR.   OX'S   EXPERIMENT 

ing  Suzel  to  her  lover,  who  hastened  to  wed  her  five  or  six 
years  after  these  events. 

And  as  for  Madame  Van  Tricasse,  she  died  ten  years 
later,  at  the  proper  time,  and  the  burgomaster  married 
Mademoiselle  Pelagie  Van  Tricasse,  his  cousin,  under  ex- 
cellent conditions — for  the  happy  mortal  who  should  suc- 
ceed him. 

CHAPTER   XVII  ^ 
In  which  Doctor  Ox's  Theory  is  Explained 

What,  then,  had  this  mysterious  Doctor  Ox  done  ?  Tried 
a  fantastic  experiment — nothing  more. 

After  having  laid  down  his  gas  pipes,  he  had  saturated, 
first  the  public  buildings,  then  the  private  dwellings,  finally 
the  streets  of  Quiquendone,  with  pure  oxygen,  without  let- 
ting in  the  least  atom  of  hydrogen. 

This  gas,  tasteless  and  odorless,  spread  in  generous  quan- 
tity through  the  atmosphere,  causes,  when  it  is  breathed, 
serious  agitation  to  the  human  organism.  One  who  lives 
in  an  air  saturated  with  oxygen  grows  excited,  frantic, 
burns ! 

You  scarcely  return  to  the  ordinary  atmosphere  before 
you  return  to  your  usual  state.  For  instance,  the  counselor 
and  the  burgomaster  at  the  top  of  the  belfry  were  themselves 
again,  as  the  oxygen  is  kept,  by  its  weight,  in  the  lower  strata 
of  the  air. 

But  one  who  lives  under  such  conditions,  breathing  this 
gas  which  transforms  the  body  physiologically  as  well  as  the 
soul,  dies  speedily,  like  a  madman. 

It  was  fortunate,  then,  for  the  Quiquendonians,  that  a 
providential  explosion  put  an  end  to  this  dangerous  experi- 
ment, and  abolished  Doctor  Ox's  gas  works. 

To  conclude:  Are  virtue,  courage,  talent,  wit,  imagina- 
tion,— are  all  these  qualities  or  faculties  only  a  question  of 
oxygen  ? 

Such  is  Doctor  Ox's  theory;  but  we  are  not  bound  to 
accept  it,  and  for  ourselves  we  utterly  reject  it,  in  spite  of 
the  curious  experiment  of  which  the  worthy  old  town  of 
Quiquendone  was  the  theater. 

V.  VII  Verne 

THE  END 


MAR  1  5  1978 


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